June 2, 2016
Gainesville is a food-loving city with a big heart that is dedicated to the local community. This Sunday, the Seventh Annual Taste of Gainesville is taking place and will be featuring 36 vendors, more vendors than any other year to date.
The event’s goal is to raise awareness and money to help children in the greater Gainesville community. The other purpose of the event is to “bring the community’s passion for food to a fun, cost-effective event that anyone can go to and experience the cuisine of Alachua County,” according to Scott Costello, the executive director for the event.
Advance purchase tickets are $100 (or $125 at the door) and will include unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks, as well as food from vendors such as Mojo Hogtown Bar-B-Que, Swamp Head Brewery and more.
Taste of Gainesville will also feature a 2016 Iron Chef Gainesville competition, where three local chefs will prepare a three-course meal, all using the same secret ingredient, and three celebrity judges will determine the winning competitor.
Over the past six years, approximately $370,000 has been raised by Taste of Gainesville for local charities that ficus on children. The goals for this year’s event is to raise a record-breaking $100,000.
Charities that partner with Taste of Gainesville include the Ronald McDonald House Charities of North Central Florida, The Child Advocacy Center, Alachua’s PACE Center for Girls, and Tyler’s Hope for a Dystonia Cure.
The event will take place this Sunday, June 5, from 5-9 p.m. at the Hilton UF Conference Center, located at 1714 SW 34th Street. For more information on the event and to purchase tickets, check out the website at tasteofgainesville.com.
