Upfront

by Sherry Foster
Editor

The Best of Augusta issue is our most popular with the possible exception of Masters. I receive input and questions about the various categories, suggestions for new ones and impassioned testimony as to why certain people or businesses should be included “next year.” Not to mention inquiries as to how a business or person can be included.

Of the answer is simple. You have to be chosen by majority of reader votes. Votes are submitted each year via Best of Augusta ballots, which are included in our February/March through May issues. Ballots are then mailed or hand-delivered to our office. We require that the majority of the ballot be filled out to be counted. Results may not always reflect my personal “best” choices or those of my fellow staffers, but they do reflect the opinions of our readers.

And our readers are loyal to the tried and true. Many categories have been dominated by a particular winner for years. In some cases, every year. On the other hand I find out about restaurants and businesses each year that I’d not previously been aware of. They may not have been voted number one, but they often appear in second or third place. That’s enough to put them on the radar of readers looking for something untried who are encouraged to get out of their usual dining and entertainment routine and expand their experiences.

I think that one of the best things about the Best of Augusta feature is the Best of Augusta Bash, which is somewhere in the neighborhood of its 10th year. The event is held at Fort Discovery (October 8) and features two floors of Best of Augusta winners who offer samples of their food and services to attendees for the price of a ticket ($12 in advance and $17 at the door), with all proceeds benefiting Fort Discovery. Where else can you sample food from some of the best restaurants in Augusta all in one night for such an affordable price and help support a charity at the same time.

And then there’s the entertainment. A full evening of music will be performed by some of the city’s best bands and musicians throughout the evening in the Paul Simon Theater at Fort Discovery. It’s a concert like no other.

Thrown into the mix are a variety of retail and arts entities who display their wares and services. It’s a good opportunity to do a little early Christmas shopping in between barbecue sandwiches and catfish. All in all, I think it’s the best fundraiser in the city.

So get your tickets now. They’re available at the August Chronicle cashiers’ office (735 Broad St.), the Columbia County News-Times office (4271 Washington Rd. in Evans), at Fort Discovery (1 Seventh St. on the river) or at the Augusta Magazine website www.augustamagazine.com.

See you there!