Little Silver’s downtown is the scene of a food fest, sidewalk sale and other attractions Thursday through Sunday. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

In keeping with its relatively low profile among the towns of the Greater Red Bank Green, Little Silver has tended toward special events of a quieter, more intimate nature: a book sale or charity walk here; a monthly bluegrass jam or biggest-tomato contest there, and of course the big little yearly happening that is Build Little Silver with LEGOs Day.

Beginning in summer of 2016, however, the borough stepped up to the spotlight with the debut of Little Silver Day, a venture organized and coordinated by the Little Silver Charitable Foundation (and punctuated by live rock bands and fireworks). The successful fundraiser is scheduled to return in June 2018 — while here in 2017 the foundation debuts a companion project this Sunday, when downtown hosts its first-ever spring fling known as A Taste of Little Silver.

Slated to run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in front of the Acme shopping plaza on Prospect Avenue, the inaugural “spring food festival and street fair” offers up a strolling/rolling sampling of the wares from some one dozen borough-based purveyors of fine foodstuffs.

Included in the mix are Acme, Angelo’s Market, Felicia’s Kitchen, Gianni’s Pizzeria, Graze, Healthy Palate, Lean Java Bean, Olivia’s Trattoria, Sickles Market, Turning Point and Ye Olde Pie Shoppe, as well as representatives from area favorites McLoone’s Restaurants.

An array of local service businesses, retailers, volunteer organizations and first responders will be getting into the act as well, via sponsored activities and other displays. There’s live entertainment too, courtesy of the students from Dance Plus (11 a.m.), the Little Silver Youth Band (11:45 a.m.), the Castaways (12:15 p.m.), and the Honey Badgers (1 p.m.).

In addition to the tasty diversions, a variety of downtown retailers will be synching up with the fun as they take part in the annual Sidewalk Sale presented by the Little Silver Business and Professional Association. The borough’s Public Library and Historic Post Office Museum will offer history buffs and browsers extended hours of operation for the duration of the special event, and a car wash fundraiser is scheduled to be held at the nearby firehouse.

This might be a good time to put in a reminder that the busy Sunday goings-on will be preceded by the annual Sidewalk Book Sale, hosted on Thursday and Friday by the Friends of the Little Silver Public Library. Take it here for the details from redbankgreen.

There’s no entry fee to attend Sunday’s Taste of Little Silver event, and additional details or updates can be found on the event’s Facebook page.