Delicious delights, lovingly prepared and thoughtfully presented - that pretty much sums up the spirit of the Taste of Plumas April 10, the first and our only countywide restaurant tasting. Seats are still available, but tickets are going fast.

Presale ticket sales end Friday, April 2. General admission is $35 and includes one souvenir wine glass and the opportunity to savor samplings from more than 25 culinary establishments and wineries. General admission tickets are available at Quincy Natural Foods.

Plumas Arts members must contact the Plumas Arts office by phone at 283-3402 or online at plumasarts.org to purchase presale-only discount tickets.

If the event is not sold out by April 2, all tickets will be $40 until capacity is reached.

Anyone who doubts the artistic talents of the Plumas community need only attend this event. From the servings of restaurants and wineries to the extraordinary collection of auction items, the community's creativity is only out done by its generosity.

"It's just a marvel the response we are getting this year!" said events coordinator Roxanne Valladao. "Frankly, I almost did not want to do the event this year, given the economic difficulties we all face these days."

However, Valladao said, she was overwhelmed by the responses from the restaurants, businesses and wineries, as well as those who look forward to attending the event year after year.

Probably the best reason to attend is that this is a really great event. "People love seeing the hall full of food and people and colors and smiles. It is a very happy time, and especially in hard times it is very important to have fun."

Anyone who has gone out to a fancy restaurant lately knows the admission price is a bargain.

Another benefit is that while patrons are enjoying all this they are supporting Plumas Arts, the county's - maybe even the region's - most active cultural arts agency.

Items for silent auction are as diverse and wonderful as the food that will be on the tables. Bid for adventures such as fishing trips, guided bird watching, bowling, a wood-fired pizza party, a personal tour of stream restoration projects, a professional photo shoot, dinner and a room at the Diamond Mountain Casino, symphony tickets and more.

House concerts or performances by Sierra Moon Star Dance Troupe, The Kepple Family, Joe Tomaselli & Friends, Dave, Tanner & Shelley Miller Johns, and the BLTs accompany the event.

Other auction items include essential services such as tax preparation, a year of trash collection, oil changes, bicycle tune-ups, health consultations. Patrons will also find original art items, framed prints and movie posters.

A current list of items is available on the Taste of Plumas webpage at plumasarts.org.