By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET — Rain wasn’t on the menu but it didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the hundreds who attended Friday night’s Pawtucket Arts Festival Gala and Taste of Pawtucket event.

Luckily, just a light mist was in the air as the food enthusiasts took to the streets from 6 to 8 p.m. to sample the fare from over 35 restaurants, bakeries and beverage companies. Now in its third year, Taste of Pawtucket has become an integral part of the gala, and serves as an event that is as beneficial to the local food and drink vendors as those who come to nibble and nosh.
State Rep. Peter Kilmartin, who, along with his wife, Kristine, founded the original Pawtucket Arts Festival concept, said he was “thrilled” with the number of attendees, given the bad weather reports from impending topical storm Danny. “People came out, they’re eating, dancing, having fun. It’s a great success,” he stated.
Kilmartin said that the Taste of Pawtucket has been a work in progress with logistics, but he feels that the organizers have finally got it right. “It’s now bigger, better and more fan-friendly. But, as good as it is, every year, we’re trying to make it better,” he stated..
Herb Weiss, the city’s Economic and Cultural Affairs Officer, echoed Kilmartin’s sentiments, saying, “Every year, we improve upon things.” He noted that there are “literally thousands of hours put into this event, and it’s ’over in a blink.” However, he said the organizers strive to offer a quality program and a well-planned gala designed to bring people back year after year. 
Mayor James E. Doyle, said he was pleased to see the weather hold off for the food tasting and gala, but expressed disappointment that the storm predictions had forced the cancellation of the what would have been the 10th annual Chinese Dragonboat Races and Taiwan Day Festival. “We’ve been very fortunate to have perfect weather for the past nine out of 10 years for the Dragonboat Races,” noted Doyle. “But, we’re rescuing the French Festival by moving it to Sunday,” he noted.
The Taste of Pawtucket was, literally, that, with offerings that spanned the globe from the All-American fare of Gregg’s Restaurant, the Ground Round, and Hose Co. #6 to ethnic eateries like the Rasoi Indian Restaurant, Pho Horn’s Vietnamese Restaurant, and the Dakar Restaurant, specializing in Senegalese cuisine.
And then there were the desserts, such as s’mores cheesecake and maple walnut cake from Gregg’s, cookies from Seven Stars Bakery, and an assortment of cupcakes and pastry items from Bachini’s Bakery.
To quench one’s thirst, there was Ryan Sukaskas’ Del’s Lemonade truck offering the traditional lemon flavored slush as well as new ruby red grapefruit, and more adult beverages such as Budweiser beer and Coastal wines.
For the restaurants, the event is a great way to publicize the name and product as well as to meet and greet the local customer base. Paul Gaudette, owner of Hose Co. #6, said his seafood jambalaya is a dish that is so popular at the food tasting that it typically brings him new customers for the next three weeks or so after the event.
Tom Wallin, a manager of the Ground Round on George Street, said the signature steak and chicken fajitas from the restaurant’s menu work to attract new business. “People love it. We usually give out about 600 fajitas,” he stated.
Wallin, like Gaudette, said the event also provides a chance to reconnect with some old customers who, maybe, haven’t come by for awhile.  “It doesn’t hurt to remind people that we’re still here,” he noted.”
Laureen Grebien, assistant manager at the Gregg’s Restaurant in Providence, was busy serving up dessert samples with the assistance of her husband, Don. She noted that the restaurant’s signature desserts are all baked in Pawtucket at the Gregg’s Commissary.
Nirmal Intwala, helping out his friend, Teven Tran, who owns Pho Horn’s, said that the Taste of Pawtucket has proved to be a good method to get people to try Vietnamese cuisine who might not ordinarily consider it. “When they try it out, they decide to come back,” he said.
Besides the food, there was the music, and plenty of dancing. The Slippery Sneakers band, with its energetic zydeco music, warned up the crowd under a large tent by the river.
They were followed by the headliner, C.J. Chenier & The Red Hot Louisiana Band, who packed the tent with dancers of all ages and kept the night smoking in spite of the rain drops.