With a new year comes a new location and new beneficiary for the fourth annual culinary event, Oakville Taste. This year art invades Oakville as Oakville Taste shows off everything with an artistic twist and encourages sponsors, exhibitors and attendees to let their inner artist out and indulge every one of their senses. Smell the food and flowers, touch the sponsor exhibits, see and taste the food presentations while you sip and savour your way through over 24 food and beverage stations.
Nadine Hughes: Food Personality
What began in 2010 as a casual backyard conversation between husband and wife has grown into one of the most anticipated culinary events for local food enthusiasts. Dave and Noreen Higgins saw the natural connection between food and community and, with the help of a number of local sponsors, were able to create an event that allowed restaurants and caterers to dish up some of their best food alongside local breweries, distillers and wineries.
Last year the event showcased a dozen local restaurants and caterers at Appleby College. This year that number has doubled and even includes local food expert, caterer and award winning author Nadine Hughes. With a new local charity selected each year, Oakville Taste has raised almost $50,000 to date for charitable organizations in the community.
Children having fun with Art
This year’s beneficiary is Oakville Galleries “Art for All” initiative that sees to it that children of all economic backgrounds have access to high-quality art education. With this program, low-income families have free access to the Galleries’ full range of art classes, camps, PA day programs, after-school and Saturday morning workshops and more. Studies have shown that not only does childhood involvement with art programs help create lifelong relationships with art and culture but that early art education encourages problem solving, critical thinking and collaboration skills.
“These are benefits we believe all young people should have access to. With the proceeds of Oakville Taste 2013, we will be able to ensure hundreds of local children are provided with the kind of enriching art experiences that will impact them for years to come. We could not be more grateful for this support from Oakville Taste.” Says Gallery Director Matthew Hyland.
Like art, food is a passion that people tend to share with one another and so it seemed like a natural step to showcase Oakville’s culinary talent in its very own contemporary art gallery while raising funds for their art education programs. The very process of creating food—combining textures, flavours, scents and colours—is artistic and creative. In this event chefs and mixologists show that they deserve a place at the table with painters, sculptors, photographers and performers as they artfully dish out samples of their own creation.
Also new this is year is the very first Junior Taste where, with the purchase of a regular priced ticket, parents can purchase tickets for a special Food/Art camp run by the Oakville Galleries art instructors for kids 5-12 years of age that will run at the same time as the event in the Studio Cottage and includes lunch from Whole Foods.
Oakville Taste takes place on Sunday, May 26th from 3pm-7pm at Oakville Galleries in Gairloch Gardens at 1306 Lakeshore Rd. East. Tickets can be purchased online at www.oakvilletaste.com and at the gallery. Tickets are $85 each with a special group rate of a book of 10 for $650.Junior Taste tickets are $35.
