Just five weeks ago, Local First set out to rally West Michigan around the local food system. The goal was to get one thousand people to take The 10x10 Pledge–a pledge to shift $10 of your weekly food budget to local sources for ten weeks. The one thousandth pledge was taken over the weekend. With one thousand people from the community participating, a collective $100,000 will be shifted into the West Michigan food economy.
Local First is inviting the entire West Michigan community to celebrate this accomplishment on October 18 from 5-9 p.m. at an event called Fork Fest. This event, in its second year, is a harvest festival/food expo that focuses on the amazing variety and high quality of locally produced food and beverages. The largest selection of any event of its type, more than thirty-five Local First member vendors (see list below) will provide samples to attendees. Sponsored by Valley City Linen, the event will be held in the greenhouses at Romence Gardens and The Fauxgrass Quartet will provide live music.
Fork Fest is family friendly. Tickets are $25, kids 10 and younger are free. Beer from Brewery Vivant, wine from Art of the Table, and cider from Vander Mill will be available at a cash bar. Click here for tickets. Tickets will also be available at the door.
Fork Fest Food and Beverage Vendors:
Amore Trattoria ltaliana
Art of the Table
Bearboy Gourmet
Brann's Sizzling Steaks & Sports Grille
Brewery Vivant
Dancing Goat Creamery
Derby Station
Doorganics
Earthkeeper Farm
Essence Restaurant Group
FarmLink
Forest Hills Foods
The Gilmore Collection
Gordon Water
Grassfields Cheese
Graydon's Crossing
Koeze
Link Love
Logan's Alley
Lubbers Family Farm
Making Thyme Kitchen
Old World Olive Press
Patricia's Chocolates
Pietro's Italian Restaurant
The Silver Spork
The Starving Artist
Tolmans Wholesale Meats
Tree Huggers
Trillium Haven
Twisted Rooster
Uptown Kitchen
Vertical Paradise Farms
The Winchester
