Raising funds to renovate Enochs Hall is a tasty endeavor for a group of volunteers dedicated to preserving history, culture and the arts in Ole Brook.

Tickets are on sale for the annual Taste of the Trust, which will be Nov. 16 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Ole Towne Church. Advance tickets are $35 and are available at the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce or by calling 601-757-2168. Tickets are $40 at the door.

All of the proceeds from the event will go toward the Mississippi School of the Arts’ latest renovation.

“When Suzanne Hirsch approached the Trust about our help with funding, I couldn’t think of a better project to spearhead our fundraising efforts this year,” Brookhaven Trust President Julia Miller said. “Aside from our own history with the campus, the project is a perfect blend of historic preservation and promotion of the arts.”

The project will allow for a second sound booth for the Black Box Theatre as well as two additional classrooms. The anticipated cost of the project is $191,000, Miller said.

“MSA is so thankful for the work of the Brookhaven Trust for our community,” Hirsch said. “Beginning with the work toward restoration of Lampton, the Trust has been a force in revitalizing our town. The third floor completion will enable MSA to have needed space to adequately serve our students and finish a building that we began renovation on in 2008. We are so excited to partner with the Brookhaven Trust and look forward to this exceptional night of fun, food, and fellowship with our community members. We hope you will buy your tickets and join us in supporting future artists of Mississippi.”

Music will feature local artists Tony Norton and Cody Dunaway, and more than 20 restaurants are slated to serve up tasty samples of their favorite dishes. A variety of items from local businesses and artists will be available through the silent auction.

Among those sampling their fare will be The Crawfish Shack, Betty’s Eat Shop, Bob’s Sandwich Shop, Broma’s Deli, Michell’s Catering, So Delish Catering Co., Poppa’s Fish House, Porches, Magnolia Blues, Georgia Blue, Los Lobos, Pappas Pizza, The Junction, Southwest Distributors, La Mariposa, Los Parilleros, Co-Lin Culinary Arts, That’s So Sweet, Tastefully Simple, Arturo’s, Joan E’s Simply Southern Catering, Fernwood Country Club, El Dorado and Sweeteez.

“We are so thankful for the continued support of the community year after year,” Miller said. “We have no doubt that this year will be no different.”

Over the past year, the Trust donated a $25,000 check to the Brookhaven Little Theatre and provided funding for MSA’s current project to add a mural on campus.

Helping MSA brings the Brookhaven Trust back to where it started.

In 1991, a group of like-minded invididuals joined together to create the Trust as part of the effort to save Mary Jane Lampton on the historic campus of Whitworth College. Twenty-six years later, the organization that has dedicated itself to the historic preservation and cultivation of the arts in downtown Brookhaven is returning to its roots with this year’s Taste of The Trust.

Mississippi School of the Arts assumed the old campus in 2003 when it welcomed the first class of art students. Since then, MSA has worked to renovate and restore each building one by one. With the completion of Elizabeth Cottage, they are turning their attention to completing the third floor of Enochs Hall.