FORT MYERS, Fla. (March 31, 2014) – Junior League of Fort Myers, Inc.’s 32nd Annual Taste of the Town food festival will take place Sunday, Nov. 2, 2014, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will once again be held at JetBlue Park, the Boston Red Sox’s 106-acre Spring Training and Player Development Complex, located at 11500 Fenway South Drive in Fort Myers.
The Junior League’s Taste of the Town is one of Southwest Florida’s largest outdoor food and entertainment festivals drawing nearly 10,000 people each year. The funds from this annual event benefit the JLFM, whose volunteer mission provides thousands of dollars annually in volunteer services and donations to programs supporting women and children in the region including the Junior League’s national program Kids in the Kitchen to help fight childhood obesity, the ongoing work with at-risk girls in the juvenile justice system, as well as work throughout the community in partnership with many organizations through the League’s Helping Hands program, which provides volunteer woman-power to organizations such as Big Brother Big Sisters, the Abuse Counseling & Treatment Shelter, Early Learning Coalition, the Supporting Independent Young Adults organization and many more.
Last year’s event raised more than $114,000 for these organizations.
Event admission is $5 per person, and children younger than 12 are free. Parking is $5. Pets and coolers are not permitted.
Applications are now being accepted for local restaurants to showcase their fare in the 2014 Taste of the Town. Interested restaurants and vendors can directly contact the JLFM at 239-277-1197 or totrestaurants@jlfm.org. Space is limited to 50 restaurants, and the deadline to participate is Wednesday Oct. 1, 2014.
“We are so excited to have an event like this to share with our community,” said Anita Duenas, 2013-2014 president of JLFM. “Many of our participating restaurants return year after year with already 21 restaurants committed to returning in 2014. To us, this speaks worlds about our vendors, as this event provides opportunities for them to not only connect with Southwest Florida on a business level but also to support our community neighbors in need on a personal level.”
Prior to the annual Taste of the Town food festival, participating restaurants have the opportunity to present their dishes in the “Best of Taste” contest with local celebrities judging the following categories: Best Appetizer, Best Entrée and Best Dessert. Judging will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 21 at JetBlue Park. The dish with the most overall points is also given the “Winners Circle” award for best overall dish. Winners in each category will be listed at each restaurant’s booth, announced the day of the event, given a certificate to display in their restaurant and mentioned in a special press release announcing the winners in each category.
“This event is so much more than a fundraiser; it’s a win-win for our community,” Duenas added. “Taste of the Town promotes and supports local businesses and the musical arts, creates resources for community service and brings our community together.”
A member of the Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc., the Junior League of Fort Myers, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization made up of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. The JLFM is also a granting organization that provides mini-grants to organizations throughout Southwest Florida’s five-county area to programs that create better life outcomes for our area’s youth. JLFM memberships are open to all women aged 21 and older of all races, religions and national origin who demonstrate an interest in and commitment to voluntarism. For more information about the JLFM League, call 239-277-1197 or visit www.jlfm.org.
For more information about the annual Taste of the Town food festival, call 239-277-1197 or email tasteofthetown@jlfm.org. For ongoing updates on Taste of the Town, visit www.jlfmtaste.com.
