Taste of Bixby

The 5th annual event highlighting Bixby’s finest eateries takes place Thursday, June 7 at the SpiritBank Event Center.

Have you ever driven through a town, spotted several restaurants, and just wished you could try them all? Now you can in the city of Bixby. On Thursday night, June 7, the Bixby Metro Chamber of Commerce proudly presents the 5th annual Taste of Bixby at the SpiritBank Event Center from 5:30 to 8 p.m. On that night, representatives from many of Bixby’s finest eateries will form a circle around the ­center and create an ultimate banquet, providing samples of favorite dishes for attendees to enjoy as they listen to local artist Kevin Jameson play an acoustic set and create musical ambience for the meal. Tickets for the event are $10 per person and provide all you can eat of the town’s most delectable fare.

“We’ve created this event to highlight area restaurants and wineries,” says Krystal Crockett, president and CEO of the Bixby Metro Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a time for partners and the public to get to know each other in an inexpensive and laid-back atmosphere.” Krystal describes Taste of Bixby as “the ­networking event of the year,” noting that it is being held indoors this year to better ­facilitate this goal. “We started off having it in the park as an outdoor food festival,” she relates. “But with Oklahoma’s unpredictable weather, we found people were more focused on the outdoors than on the restaurants and each other.”

This is Krystal’s third year with the chamber and with this event. She began her career there as office coordinator, and when the former chamber president took a position in another Oklahoma town in November of 2011, she assumed the position of CEO. “I’m excited that we can bring everyone together,” she says. “Last year we had over 400 attendees come and see what we have in Bixby.”

Bixby has experienced ­phenomenal growth in the last two decades; in fact, it has grown 60 percent since the 2000 ­census, and the Tulsa Business Journal coined the phrase “The Bixby Effect” to describe the explosive growth in this previously small farm community. “Bixby is becoming more than just a commuter town – people want to play here,” says Krystal. “We have some of the best schools in the area, now 6A in athletics. We are one of the safest cities of our size. We have worked hard to keep up with the growth.” As an example, she points to Bixby’s Bentley Park at 148th and Memorial, with its award-winning Splash Pad, Super Playground, and the Sports Quad, which plays host to sports teams from all over the nation.

There is still time for ­restaurants who would like to participate to contact Krystal Crockett, who hopes this year’s Taste of Bixby will propel “The Bixby Effect” to even further heights. “We like that this gives us the opportunity to show what Bixby has to offer, not only in restaurants but the SpiritBank Event Center,” she says.

“This is a great highlighting event for us.”

For more information, contact

Bixby Metro Chamber of Commerce

(918) 366-9445

www.bixbychamber.com