For 40 years, hundreds of Huntsville-area restaurants and pubs have gathered at the Von Braun Center on a Tuesday evening in late September to enjoy The Taste of Huntsville, an event that has become known as “a spectacle for your taste buds.”

The Huntsville-Madison County Hospitality Association is calling for an all-day “Dine on 9/29” celebration this year. The event is a show of community support for the area’s restaurant and hospitality businesses, which have taken the COVID-19 pandemic like a pie in the face over the past few months.

“Dine on 9/29” calls on residents to enjoy socially distanced indoor dining, patio dining, take out, or delivery from restaurants across the Tennessee Valley. Folks are urged to enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and even before-and-after cocktails from area restaurants.

“In my more than 15 years in the hospitality industry, I never could have imagined a pandemic that would devastate our industry like COVID-19 has,” said Desirea Stewart, president of Huntsville-Madison County Hospitality Association. “Our industry may be hurting, but we are strong and open for business. It is important now more than ever, to show our support for our local restaurants, hotels, attractions, and venues.

“We look forward to our entire region dining on September 29th to support our hospitality family.”

Taste of Huntsville 2020 Chair Lindsey Pattillo Keane said local restaurants are a joyful respite during a stressful and challenging 2020.

“Canceling our Taste of Huntsville 2020 on September 29th was for the best; however, we are thrilled to support our hospitality industry in an impactful and different way,” she said. “We invite all of the Tennessee Valley to ‘Dine on 9/29’, to offer a surge of support for our restaurant community.”

Rather than including only those venues able to cater food into the VBC, “Dine 9/29” will include every restaurant in North Alabama, and patrons are encouraged to tag the restaurant location and share photos from their dining experience utilizing the #dineon929 hashtag on the Facebook Event Link.

The HMCHA will award nine gift cards for $29 each to participants who tag #dineon929 throughout the day on their Facebook page.

With more than 50 restaurants and beverage vendors participating every year, Taste of Huntsville draws more than 1,000 attendees to the fall event where they feature food, desserts, beverages, and novelty snacks from across the Tennessee Valley.