The Downtown Bellingham Partnership is moving the time and location of this year’s Bite of Bellingham event.

The partnership says the 2013 edition of the popular downtown restaurant competition will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 22, at Depot Market Square on the 11oo block of Railroad Avenue. The all-ages event, which is in its eighth year, has traditionally been held on the third Saturday in August on Cornwall Avenue.

Organizers said Depot Market Square should better support the logistics of the event and will also make it easier for participating restaurants to handle staffing demands along with their regular Saturday night dinner services. Pushing the event to September also coincides with the fall return of students from Western Washington University, and holding it on a Sunday ensures it won’t compete against the downtown Bellingham Farmers Market.

Last year, the Bite of Bellingham drew more than 4,000 attendees.

The event features food and drink samples from 20 Whatcom County restaurants, and attendees can vote for their favorites in categories including: Best Bite, Dreamiest Drink, Sweetest Sweet, Best Gluten-Free Bite and Best Local Bite.

Entry is free; food and beverage tickets are sold for $1 a piece.

Participating restaurants will be announced at a later date. Vendor applications are still being accepted for interested businesses, according to the Downtown Bellingham Partnership, and sponsorship opportunities are also available.

More information is online at www.downtownbellingham.com.