Food, wine event raises scholarship funds
Food from Kalispell’s DeSoto Grill is featured at the Grand Wine Tasting night during the 2018 Fall Festival of Flavors. Cuisine from DeSoto Grill will also be part of this year’s event. (Courtesy of Flathead Valley Community College)
Flathead Valley Community College is inviting the community to wine and dine at the 12th annual Fall Festival of Flavors Oct. 4 to 12 to raise funds for student scholarships.
Local chefs, in conjunction with students in the college’s culinary and brewing programs, will prepare multi-course meals with beverage pairings featuring fall favorites. Each evening meal features a unique menu with offerings ranging from elk short-loin and four-cheese pasta to lamb chops and a chocolate torte. Ticket prices vary nightly from $50 to $125 per person.
The week of fine dining kicks off Friday, Oct. 4, with a buffet-style Oktoberfest dinner prepared by FVCC culinary students with beer crafted by the college’s Brewing Academy of Montana.
Monies raised during the weeklong event will fund scholarships for students in need.
“This festival money was really to look at, who can we help the most, who has the greatest need?” FVCC Foundation Executive Director Colleen Unterreiner said. The scholarships help students complete their studies and graduate without debt, she added.
The fall fundraiser is the third in the Festival of Flavors annual series, which last year brought in a combined total of $250,000, supporting 175 student scholarships. Scholarship recipients will attend many of the festival events, providing community members the opportunity to learn more about the impact scholarships have on student success.
“The first year raised $30,000 and now we’re raising $250,000 to $300,000 every year. It’s really grown and I think it’s because we’ve really shared with our community, the importance of scholarships,” Unterreiner said. “We just want to say thank you to this community for believing in us and helping our students reach their goals.”
To view all menus or purchase tickets, visit www.fvcc.edu/festival or call 756-3632. All prices include dinner, beverage pairings and a gratuity. To learn more about the FVCC Foundation Scholarship program or how to establish a scholarship at FVCC, contact Colleen Unterreiner at 756-3914 or colleenu@fvcc.edu.
Reporter Mackenzie Reiss can be reached at (406) 758-4433 or mreiss@dailyinterlake.com.