THOMASTON — Looking for something to do this Saturday? Oct. 12, the Knox Museum will host its inaugural "Taste of Thomaston," a food and wine festival celebrating notable local chefs, vintners, cheese artisans, brewers, fishermen, farmers, and all things delicious, local and “foodie.”  The event takes place rain or shine in a big heated tent on the grounds of Montpelier, the big white house just off Route 1 at the turn to Saint George in Thomaston.

“This is the first time we’ve done anything like this,” said Tobin Malone, director of programming and marketing. “This year we’ve been reaching out to the local community to make connections and build bridges. We have this beautiful property of 10 acres that is really underused and we want to let people know it’s available to them. Also, in terms of our mission statement, the original owners of Knox were wonderful entertainers. They’d throw their doors open, have big parties and feed everyone in town.”

Heading up the list of notable local chefs contributing some of their signature dishes to the tasting event will be Melissa Kelly of Primo Restaurant; Kerry Altiero of Café Miranda; Scott Yakavenko of the Slipway; and Herbert Peters of Thomaston Café.

Jessica Shepard, of The Uproot Pie Company, will be on hand dishing out her famous wood oven-fired pizza. Glen Libby of Mid-Coast Fisherman’s Co-Op will serve up Port Clyde’s fresh catch. Also on hand to share their unique creations will be Peter McBean and Frank Morrill shucking Cushing oysters, Jeanne Johnson of Breakwater Vineyards, Molly Sholes of Spruce Mountain Blueberries, Elaine Waldron of Hootin Gluten Free Bakery, Andy Hazen of Andrews Brewing Company, Nancy and Pat O’Brien of Fiore Artisan Olive Oils & Vinegars, Jeff Wolovitz and Maho Hisakawa of Coastal Farms Heiwa Tofu, and specialty cake baker Darci-Lynn Chickering-Morris of The Sugar Tree.

Additional specialty local products will be available for tasting from Terra Optima Farm Market, State of Maine Cheese Company, 3 Dogs Café & Sweet Sensations, and Maine Street Meats. Sarah Flint will showcase her Scarlet Smile bittersweet wreaths. And the entire Thomaston Farmers Market will relocate to Montpelier’s grounds for the festival.                

Montpelier itself will be decorated for harvest season for the very first time, and will be open and free for guests to wander through nine rooms on their own and view Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday and Monday, Oct. 12 and 14, from 1 to 4 p.m.

Admission donations are $10 for adults, $8 for those between ages 21 and 35 and for seniors 62 and older, and free for museum members. The tent opens at 11 a.m. and the tasting continues until 2 p.m. Only guests 21 or older will be admitted to the tent, and all the tastings are free. For more information contact the museum at info@knoxmuseum.org or 354-8062.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com