TALLAHASSEE ARTS SCIENCE THEATER EXPERIENCE
YEAR ONE: PROOF OF CONCEPT
Meet Snack, T>A>S>T>E> Year 1’s mascot! Snack loves circuit-bending, sporks, and supporting the local arts scene.
MARCH 26th-28th, 2026
The Tallahassee Arts, Science, Theater Experience (T.A.S.T.E.) is an entirely donation-based, non-profit festival concept created by S.C.A.M.S. The first annual experience is set for March 26th-28th, 2026. T.A.S.T.E. is registered as an incorporated non-profit organization awaiting 501c3 status.
T.A.S.T.E.’s mission is to create a regional multi-day, citywide cultural festival in Tallahassee, FL. T.A.S.T.E. will attract and accommodate the local population while also including regional/national artists and educators on the lineup that make it an experience worth traveling for. The festival aims to highlight the people, communities, infrastructure, and resources that make Tallahassee special while also facilitating cultural exchange and growth throughout the region.
The primary goal for T.A.S.T.E. as a non-profit is to remain solely donation-based and use money raised from donations, sponsorships, and grants for the purpose of producing the festival. No money will be used to pay salaries within the organization or be used to cover any expenses other than that required to produce the festival.
Expenses for T>A>S>T>E> Include:
People (Artists, Crew, etc.)
Places (Venues, Hospitality, etc.)
Production (Sound, Lighting, Video, etc.)
Promotion (Posters, Merch, etc.)
How Is T>A>S>T>E> Possible?
Thoughtful lineup curation. ⋆｡°·☁︎
DIY thought processes paired with professional attitudes and skill sets. ⚙︎ ⚙︎ ⚙︎
Community engagement. ♡♡♡
Sponsorships & Partnerships. ( ╹֊╹)ノ＼(‾̀◡‾́ ๑)
Hard work. Lots of hard work. ( ◡̀_◡́)ᕤ
When and Where Will T>A>S>T>E> Be?
T.A.S.T.E. plans to happen once a year in the month of March for the foreseeable future. It is starting in 2026 with 2 venues & 2.5 days. The goal is to get up to 5 days with as many venues as possible.
What Will T>A>S>T>E> NOT Be?
Expensive. Exclusionary. Evil.
No standard festival business practices like charging hundreds of dollars for a ticket, placing an audience in a designated area, and overcharging for things you buy on a regular basis. T.A.S.T.E. will be open on multiple levels.
No price-gouging vendors. Year 1 of T.A.S.T.E. is entirely free for people to vend at. As the festival grows, this is a potential revenue stream for T.A.S.T.E. to sustain itself. Many festivals charge $1,000+ to vend at - especially for food vendors. T.A.S.T.E. never wants to charge more than $200 for food vendors and $50 for artisans. This pricing concept is a ways out but we are stating our intentions now for transparency and accountability.
No “Event Parking” prices. Parking will be free or the same price as a lot or meter spot usually is in Tallahassee. As T.A.S.T.E. grows, we aim to provide free, safe, and sustainable transportation for those who need it.
What WILL T>A>S>T>E> Be?
This is an evolving answer. T.A.S.T.E. will have a general theme for each year that will apply to the overall look of the experience. This will be most noticeable in the featured artists creating new works at T.A.S.T.E., which will inspire the design for the promotional materials. This year’s theme is “Proof of Concept,” hence the neutral black and white aesthetic - this is the blank canvas and we are just starting to draw the lines.
This year’s featured artist creating new work during T.A.S.T.E. is Alex Laubach - a native Tallahassee artist that frequently uses automatism with black pen when crafting their pieces.
T.A.S.T.E. will be a continuous journey circling around the primary destination of Tallahassee, FL. We are very excited to embark on it with the community.
Keep scrolling to see what will be happening at T.A.S.T.E. 2026…
SCHEDULE
WHAT DOES DONATION-BASED MEAN?
“Donation-Based”refers to how the audience enters and supports T.A.S.T.E. and the talent that makes it possible. This year’s goal is to entirely cover the expenses for T.A.S.T.E. via donations. In the future, we hope to utilize additional sponsorships and grants as well. The creators of T.A.S.T.E. will cover any costs (namely artist pay) out-of-pocket if enough donations are not brought in to pay all the expenses.
IT IS REQUIRED to make a donation at the designated donation table located within 621 Gallery in order to view the programming for T.A.S.T.E.; however, the amount donated is entirely up to individual guests and can be accepted via QR codes (allowing for choice of digital payment) or cash. Any amount, beginning with 1¢, will be accepted. If you do not have any money to offer as a donation, please talk to the person at the table and a creative solution will be negotiated.We will NOT turn ANYONE away for LACK of FUNDS.
This is the first year of T.A.S.T.E. so please pardon us while we experiment with the best way to go about everything. This year’s theme is Proof of Concept, which aims to contextualize the many vague and grand ideas we have for the vision of the fest. There is no real blueprint out there for running a festival the way we would like (and if you know of a real-world example, please let us know!). We want to make T.A.S.T.E. accessible for the people of Tallahassee and beyond, grow it in scale for the future, and prioritize the needs of the talent who make it possible.
As we look at the current state of the world, the arts, and other festivals, we want to be as transparent as possible while also giving each guest the control over where their donations are going. So, the donation table will have QR codes available for S.C.A.M.S. (production), T.A.S.T.E. (festival organization), 621 Gallery (venue organization), G.R.I.F.T. (rave organization), and all of the artists that are performing. You only have to make a donation to one of them to gain access to T.A.S.T.E. Cash donations will be split up amongst the artists and then split equally to the organizations. Donations made directly to S.C.A.M.S. will go to production expenses and artists. Donations made to T.A.S.T.E. will go towards promotional expenses, artists, and T.A.S.T.E. Year 2! Donations made to 621 Gallery will go to their operating expenses (that have been supporting art for over 40 years). Donations made to G.R.I.F.T. will go towards artists, production expenses, and future raves. Donations made to individual artists and organizations will go directly to those creators!