Slideshow: Community Gets a ‘Taste of Cranberry’

Nearly 1,000 people descended on the Wednesday for the The Chamber of Commerce Inc.'s 11th annual event.

Susan Balla, executive director of The Chamber of Commerce, said more than 800 people attended the event featuring food from 30 restaurants in the Cranberry area, including and . There also were nearly 30 non-restaurants vendors at the event, among them Cranberry Patch.

Balla said the Taste of Cranberry was sold out by Tuesday.

“It was a huge success,” she said.

Balla said the event should raise more than $20,000, which will go to Chamber programs and events. A portion of the proceeds will be given to this year’s beneficiary, the .

Library director Leslie Pallotta attended the event with “Mouse,” the main character in the children’s book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.  She said the funds would be used to give the children’s area of the library a "mini-face-lift," with new paint and other improvements. The event also increased the library's visibility in the public eye, she said.

“I think it’s awesome,” she said.

Getting to know the community better also is why Kristy Gales attended the event as a vendor. Gales is the financial services manager at the on Rochester Road in Cranberry.

“We thought this was a great opportunity to meet more than 750 new people,” she said.