Taste of Pinellas Canceled for 2013

Citing declining attendance and increasing expenses, All Children's Hospital and event organizers announced Friday that a Taste of Pinellas is officially on hiatus.

For the last 26 years, the food and music festival dedicated to raising money for All Children's Hospital is taking break. According to event organizers, the event is canceled for 2013 to "retool the event for future success." 

“While A Taste of Pinellas has enjoyed great success, we have also experienced a decline in overall attendance and an increase in expenses to run this three-day event,” said Cindy Rose, ACH Vice President of Marketing in a news release. “Today, there are many more community events and entertainment venues competing for the public’s time and money. We felt it was a good time to take a strategic look at all facets of the event to see if we can make it better for the future.”

In 2012, a Taste of Pinellas featured nationally recognized musical acts such as Big & Rich, All-American Rejects, Dashboard Confessional, Sheryl Crow and Ziggy Marley. 

According to a statement released Friday from the hospital, the break will "afford the opportunity to concentrate on how best to ensure that Taste is an event that everyone in the Bay Area wants to attend – so that it ultimately can continue to support the work of All Children’s Hospital.

"During the next year, the hospital will work with community and restaurant partners to develop a plan for a new “Taste” or a similar type of event that the community will enjoy. The goal is to have an event that brings people together to have a good time and celebrate the difference All Children’s makes to the lives of our community’s children."