Taste of Bluffton draws crowds by the thousands to Bluffton Village

Everything from fried chicken livers to barbecue and even apple fritters the size of your head was on display at the “Taste of Bluffton” on Saturday.

In fact, somewhere between 5,000 to 6,000 people were expected to turn out for the food festival hosted by the Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce. That’s generally how many the event — now in its fourth year — has drawn in previous years, according to Erin Black with the chamber.

“We’ve grown it every year and changed it up every year,” Black said, as she stood near the volunteer tent in Bluffton Village on Saturday.

And despite high winds that made the otherwise bright and sunny day seem slightly cooler, residents and visitors alike poured into the village square for a chance to sample a variety of cuisines.

Pesaturo family members were enjoying fried shrimp, fried oysters and pizza as they sat on the grounds overlooking double rows of food vendors.

“We love all the festivals,” said Mike Pesaturo, who had moved with his family to Bluffton from Atlanta about 2  1/2 years ago.

He and his son, John Pesaturo, daughter Rachel Pesaturo, and Rachel’s friend Emily Davis, of Atlanta, were trying to decide what to sample next.

“Shrimp,” said John. “More shrimp.”

This story was originally published April 9, 2016 at 6:35 PM with the headline "Taste of Bluffton draws crowds by the thousands to Bluffton Village."