Event combines food and music with charity

The Bite of Las Vegas returns for its 12th year at Desert Breeze Park on Oct. 18.

The day-long event combines the flavors of valley restaurants with the sounds of local bands and internationally renowned musicians.

Headliners on the main stage include Lifehouse ("Broken," "Whatever it Takes" and "Hanging By a Moment"), Puddle of Mudd ("We Don't Have to Look Back Now"), Metro Station ("Shake It"), Secondhand Serenade ("Fall For You") Justin Nozuka ("After Tonight") and Lenka ("We Will Not Grow Old.")

Last year, event organizer Mix 94.1 FM added a third stage that featured female artists playing acoustically.

This year, the third stage will spotlight songwriters who will play a few acoustic songs followed by a interview with the station's disc jockeys on the air. The third stage guests have not been announced yet.

Eight local bands including the Mess, Left Standing, Verbatym, A Penny For Jane and Stone Dead Roses, will compete at the House of Blues on Oct. 2 for the right to headline the second stage.

Record label executives will judge the homegrown bands, so there is a possibility they could earn a recording contract.

"I've heard these bands and their demos were fabulous so if their live performance is as good as their demos, I think that some of these bands have a shot," station Program Director Justin Chase said.

The food samplings offered up with the music this year comes from a lineup of 45 restaurants including Dippin Dots Ice Cream, Edible Arrangements, Famous Dave's BBQ, Fuddruckers, Hard Rock Cafe, Hash House A Go Go, H&H Barbeque, KaiRoc Burgers & Hot Dogs, Lahaina Grill, McFadden's Vegas, Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, Red Velvet Cafe, Shane's Rib Shack, Sonoran Freeze Shaved Ice, Sunset Pizzeria, Tacone Flavor Grill, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Aloha Kitchen, Cheescake & Crime, Cold Stone Creamery, Keloke Mexican/Dominican Flavor, La Salsa, Qdoba and The Melting Pot.

The restaurants also compete for the best-decorated booth and in nine different Best Bite categories judged by The Culinary Institute of Las Vegas.

Many will offer kids' selections and desserts in $1 to $5 portions.

The event also has carnival rides, games and cooking demonstrations by professional chefs throughout the day.

"It's a lot of fun. It's October and the weather in Vegas is the best time of year to be outside," Chase said. "It's an affordable, fun day for the whole family."

Attendees can receive $1 off the $8 admission price with a donation of canned food at the gate for the City Mission of Las Vegas. Additionally, $1 for every ticket sold will be donated to the City Mission to feed Las Vegas' hungry.

The City Mission, 2214 N. Pecos Road, provides mobile missions, thrift stores, hot meals, outreach events, food box distribution, job training, clothing, personal counseling and family restoration.

Jeff Pope can be reached at 990-2688 or [email protected].