Murphy – It was all fancy attire and alluring food and drink at the The Hackney Warehouse on Thursday night for the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce’s annual Forks & Corks fundraiser.
The event showcased local food vendors as well as wineries and breweries. Each ticket holder presented their “passport” to the vendors, who stamped their card with a punch and served a sample plate of their finest creations. The crowd was spirited and thrilled to attend the in-person social event for the first time since 2019.
“We wanted to come out to experience a town event and support the chamber,” Joann Brown said. Her husband, Gary, joked, “I came because I was hungry.”
Attendees needed a hearty appetite to enjoy samples from so many food vendors. Chamber board vice president Kathryn Jenkins said, “We are excited to be meeting in person.” She added that while Forks & Corks is a major fundraiser for the chamber, it also is a vehicle to bring the local food experience to the community.
One vendor did more than showcase their finest foods. Terra Ciotta, Tri-County Community College’s culinary director, brought students with her as a teaching experience.
“They can learn on site cooking and how to set up and run a marketing event. We’re serving street food from a Thailand recipe because I like it!” she said with a laugh.
Smokey Mountain BBQ Co. owner David Handford named his special sauce Whatyouknowgood as a nod to his wife, who teases him when he uses the phrase to answer her calls. In competition for barbecue attention, Rib Country impressed the guests with a full pig, complete with an apple in its mouth, lying stretched across their table.
However, not everybody served food. Kara Seabolt, CFO of Miller Well Drilling in Brasstown, provided free bottles of water to the party crowd.
Rachel West, marketing specialist for Dunkin Donuts, inspired clusters of people around her display. Along with boxes of cute little munchkins, the crowd eagerly waited for a caramel or mocha iced coffee with cream.
“I usually drink Starbucks,” Roz Barnett said, “but this Dunkin Donuts drink is very good.”
The event wasn’t shy on drinks for adults. Jan Olson of FernCrest Winery in Andrews brought an impressive variety of her wines, which she poured into the engraved complimentary wine glass provided as swag for the
attendees.
Sherry Raines, executive director of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, was thrilled at the night’s turnout.
“It’s been extremely difficult for the vendors to participate with the staffing and shipping issues,” she said.
Hoppy Trout solved this problem by staffing their table with company bigwigs. Ron Jenkins said with a laugh, “I’m a higher up” when asked his position in the company, adding, “Our beer is fantastic, we make it right in Andrews.”
Mayor Tim Radford summed up the festive event.
“It is refreshing to see community come together once again. The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce’s Forks & Corks was a huge success thanks to amazing organizers, volunteers, vendors, sponsors, entertainers and participants,” he said.
Sharmaine Slaven and her husband, Charlie Beck, performed under their band name, Squirrel Butter. Slaven is the music and dance director at John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown. The band played old-time Appalachian music, adding to the festive fun.
Hoppy Trout’s Alan Downey expressed the general attitude of those on hand by saying, “I’m just excited about life and all the happy people here.”