Ephrata chamber's auction is Saturday

EPHRATA — The Ephrata Chamber of Commerce is bringing Springtime in Paris to St. Rose of Lima Catholic School Saturday.

The chamber adopted a French theme for its annual Taste of the Basin auction.

The event starts at 5 p.m. and includes silent and live auctions, wine tasting and heavy hors d’oeuvres.

Tickets cost $35 each or $300 for a table of eight and can be purchased at the chamber of commerce office or at the door.

“We’ve been planning the auction since right after Miracle on Main Street,” chamber Executive Director Tia Tracy said. “There’s going to be an ice tower in the middle of the gym. It’s going to be a park-like setting … It’s spring and love is in the air.”

The auction supplies the operating money for the chamber. Tracy said the chamber doesn’t have a set goal for how much money it wants.

“It keeps the lights on, so to speak,” she said. “Would I love to see $40,000? Of course, I would. I can say our tables are filling up fast.”

The event begins with a silent auction, including gift baskets, paintings and garden supplies, she said.

“There is all sorts of wonderful things,” Tracy said. “There is a beautiful quilt. There are antique toys … There are car care products.”

A wine and microbrew tasting is scheduled for the same time, she said. One of the wines available is the chamber’s auction wine, a 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon reserve from the Gingko Forest Winery in Mattawa. The chamber is selling the bottles for $20 a piece.

“It’s amazing, absolutely amazing wine. It’s hand-picked,” Tracy said. “It’s also keeping with our theme of springtime in Paris.”

The live auction starts at 8 p.m. and features a river rafting trip, tickets to the musical “Cats,” an Ephrata Raceway package and a Silver Mountain trip.

“There is a VIP package for Basin Summer Sounds too,” Tracy said. “It’s a meet-and-greet package with Jo Dee Messina. The package includes beverage garden tickets, a CD and a bunch of other Basin Summer Sounds merchandise.”