“Welcome to Ellensburg,” a Bite of the ‘Burg employee said to event attendees as they entered Fourth Avenue. 

The bumping bass of 88.1 the ‘Burg speakers surrounded students and community members as they were greeted with bags “for goodies” as they entered Bite of the ‘Burg.

According to the pamphlets, 70 booths lined both sides of the street. The booths ranged from chain companies such as T-Mobile and Papa Murphy’s to more local venues such as The Pearl Bar and Grill and Ellensburg Desserts. 

Event head, Darby Grimes, said that their main goal with events like Bite of the ‘Burg is to introduce the business aspect of Ellensburg to the influx of new students coming to the community.

“It’s to really introduce them to the business community in Ellensburg and get them into their storefront,” Grimes said.

CWU senior Shelby Yonko said the Bite of the ‘Burg offers a sense of community for incoming students beyond campus life.

“There’s other things outside of school that you can go do,” Yonko said. “You can go find places to eat, you can find places to get your hair done, your nails done.” 

First year international student Daniel Landaverde said being around the students and business giving out free food samples was a cool and fun experience. Landaverde said that coming from El Salvador, he did not get to experience events like ‘Bite of the Burg.’ 

“In my country, we don’t have these types of activities,” Landaverde said. “It’s nice to have the sense of union or community union that you guys have here in Ellensburg.”

Bite of the ‘Burg puts newer businesses in front of the community like Ellensburg Desserts. 

Owner and baker Cassidy Merritt offered cake pops to those visiting her table in an exchange for a follow on Instagram.

Merrit said she came to Ellensburg from Maryland during the COVID pandemic and realized that the community didn’t have a dessert shop.

“I wanted to bring what I know how to do here,” Merrit said.  

According to Merritt, she is currently looking for a storefront for her business so she can operate out of a physical location.

Another local business offering a taste of their menu was The Pearl Bar and Grill. 

Owner Blake Collins stood behind a simple fold up table as he handed out crackers with artichoke dip. Collins said he enjoyed the turnout and energy the most, and he feels the energy increase as the population of Ellensburg does. 

Collins said, “It’s been a lot of fun being able to talk directly to college students that bring a lot of energy to this community.”