With nearly twice as many vendors, accommodations for twice as many people and warmer weather predictions, coordinators of this year’s "Taste of East Lansing":http://wealllivehere.org/tasteofeastlansing are hoping for twice as much fun come Saturday. The Community Relations Coalition, or CRC, will host its second-annual Taste of East Lansing event from 4-7 p.m. Saturday on the 300 block of Albert Street in downtown East Lansing. The event, which shows off the town’s dining and retail stores, is aimed at uniting the East Lansing community with MSU students, CRC intern coordinator and graduate student Elinor Landess said. “Everybody is up to a good time, and everyone is feeling positive and happy about the day,” Landess said. She said about 2,000 people attended "the first Taste of East Lansing":http://statenews.com/article/2012/04/event_showcases_e-l-_food_to_community in 2012, which raised about $3,500 for the CRC and the Rotary Club of East Lansing’s Playground in the Park Re-Imagined project, an effort to build a new playground in Bailey Neighborhood’s Patriarche Park by 2014. Landess said about $3,500 has been raised to put on the event this year, with about another $10,000 worth of local business owners and volunteers’ time committed. Money raised will benefit the Playground in the Park Re-Imagined project. The event will include 16 food vendors — including Menna’s Joint, Dublin Square Irish Pub and American Crepes — several bands made up of MSU students, entertainment for children and a silent auction including items such as a football signed by MSU football head coach Mark Dantonio, a basketball signed by MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo and four tickets to a Tigers’ baseball game with parking. Landess said the local vendors’ food will be sold at reduced prices, with $6 buying large portions. "Buffalo Wild Wings":http://www.buffalowildwings.com/ general manager Aaron Weiner said the event is a chance for the business to market itself to people that might view it as simply a college sports bar. “It’s an effective way to introduce a lot of businesses to the community,” he said. Mayor Pro Tem Nathan Triplett said after an especially long winter, the event is an excuse to get outside. “What’s really attractive about the Taste of East Lansing is you can come into downtown and enjoy the great food and know that all the while, you’re supporting your community,” Triplett said.