Buford has been blessed with some of the best local businesses, food, people and basketball, and a new event on Nov. 6 showcases all of them. Coming to the Buford Arena is the first annual Taste of Buford benefiting the Buford High School boys and girls basketball programs.
A Taste of Buford will feature over 20 local restaurants that can be sampled. For $20, people will receive 10 tasting tickets that can be used to receive a sample-sized portion of the restaurant’s offerings. Tickets do not have to be all used by the same person. Keep a few, share a few. The event also has the Battle of the Teachers, Three Point Shoot Outs and more.
Immediately following the Taste of Buford, the Buford girls and boys basketball teams will open their 2024-25 season. The girls will face Commerce at 5:30 p.m. and the boys will play at 7 p.m. against Seckinger. Admission to the games is free.
When asked why the Taste of Buford was created, Girls Head Coach Gene Durden said, “The Taste of Buford came from our desire to connect the community in a unique way. Buford’s always been about supporting both our local businesses and our basketball teams, so combining them made perfect sense.”
The restaurant owners of Buford came through for the Buford basketball program with over 20 restaurants stepping up to support the athletes. Some of the restaurants that have signed up for the event are BareBones Steakhouse, Off the Rails Mexican Cantina, Rico’s World Kitchen, Fish Tales, Main Street Deli, Oy!, Bubba’s 33, Chick-fil-a, Italian Pizza Pie and more.
Boys Basketball Head Coach Wes Parker said that he isn’t surprised by how many restaurants have signed up for the Taste of Buford. “Buford has always been a community where people support one another, and the response from local businesses shows just how strong that bond is. It’s really encouraging to see them get involved,” he said.
The Taste of Buford event combined with getting to see Buford Wolves’ basketball should make for an exciting night. Both Durden and Parker have high hopes for the event.
“We hope this event helps strengthen the connection between our basketball program and the local community,” Parker said. “It’s a chance for people to come together, enjoy the game, and support the businesses that make Buford what it is.”
“We want everyone to leave feeling like they were part of something special—both on and off the court. It’s about celebrating Buford as a whole,” Durden said.
The event is part of a whole new era for Buford basketball — an era where Buford basketball combines a first-class team and business community to showcase the best of both worlds. Michele Fagan with Outcompete Marketing is the creative force tasked with combining both Buford basketball and the business community with efforts like the Taste of Buford and the program’s all-new website, bufordbasketball.com.
“The new website is a great way to highlight the work of our players and keep the community informed,” Durden said. “It gives us a platform to share everything about the program—from game updates to sponsor involvement—and really helps us stay connected with our fans and supporters.”
For more information about the Taste of Buford event or to purchase tickets, visit bufordbasketball.com/taste-of-buford.
