Downtown Covington will host its second annual Spring Fling April 12 at 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on the square.

The event will feature the Taste of Downtown Covington on Monticello Street and will showcase local downtown restaurants. For $10, attendees will enjoy 10 food samples. Event attendees can also get one extra food sample if they bring either food goods or cash donations.

Advanced tickets can be purchased at Spires Interiors & Gifts, Bradley's BBQ and the Square Perk Café.

Participating food purveyors include: Bradley's BBQ, Spires Interiors & Gifts, Amici Covington, Ramsey Produce, Plain Nuts & Catering, Treasure Thai Cuisine, Square Perk Café, Scoops and Freeman's Low County Fish Camp.

The Spring Fling this year will include live music hosted by McKibben Music. Many of the downtown merchants will offer extended shopping hours and special promotions during the event.

The Southern Heartland Art Gallery will also host a Community Paint-Out during the Spring Fling. All event attendees are encouraged to help paint a community mural which will be hung on a wall adjoining the Main Street office and the Visitors Information Center at the Chamber of Commerce. The wall will be dedicated to Irene Smith, a long-serving Main Street Board member and advocate for the downtown district.

The event was one of the first initiatives of the Main Street Dining and Food Group that was formed in 2011.

"The group was an opportunity to combine their efforts to market the downtown as dining and food destination with the annual Spring Fling event hosted by the Southern Heartland Gallery," said Josephine Kelly, director of Main Street Covington.