Taste of Temecula Valley Raises Cash For Schools, Satisfies Hungry Appetites

The third annual Taste of Temecula Valley saw good food, beer, wine and an activity area just for the little ones, including a petting zoo, balloon animals, face painting, bounce house, and other surprises -- all for a good cause.

Saturday’s event in Old Town brought hundreds together and helped raise funds for the Temecula Valley Unified School District. The event also raised awareness for the Temecula Valley Foundation for Excellence in Education, according to a news release from Barbara Burkett.

Elizabeth Olson, 28, of French Valley, came out for food tasting and was joined by her husband and two children. 

“We were excited to support the kids’ school and we love to eat ... we figured it was a great opportunity to try everything,” Olson said while her two children took pony rides. “We saw they had the kids zone and we figured it we be a great free day for them.

“So far we hit the beer stand ... this is great,” Olson continued.

Local restaurants set up their tasting booths and handed out freshly prepared samples for event goers.

“[We’re here] just to get our product in the guests' mouths and to help with charity,” said Allen Cameron, general manager for Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que in Temecula. “Thank you for having us out here and the turnout is great.”

According to Cameron, the team was only expecting about 500 guests, but they quickly exceeded that number and had to call in for more supplies.

“It’s because people like our food,” Cameron said. “It’s all about the BBQ [and cooking] it low and slow and doing it right.”

Olson has one tip for next year: “Buy lots of tickets, you’ll need them all.”

Saturday's event ran 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission was $10 per person and children under 12 were free. Admission included all-day entertainment, events, and access to tasting booths, which required the use of taste tickets that sold for $2 each.

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