Second Annual Farm To Table Community Dinner July 14

HILLSBORO, OR — New food, new chefs, and new beverage options will highlight the second annual Farm to Table community dinner in downtown Hillsboro July 14, according to event organizers.

Held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. between Southeast Second and Southeast Third avenues on East Main Street, the Farm to Table fundraiser dinner event features a five-course meal provided by multiple restaurants and eateries, delivered entirely by volunteers to roughly 300 hungry people (who must be at least 21 years old). Tickets are $75 per person, with proceeds benefitting the Hillsboro Downtown Partnership's ongoing mission to revitalize the city's downtown corridor through marketing and promoting downtown businesses, visually improving storefronts, building a culture of volunteerism and partnership, and ultimately cultivating a vibrant community.

Discussing how this year's event will compare to the first, Saira Siddiqui, director of the nonprofit Hillsboro Downtown Partnership (HDP), said the organization took lessons from trying to do too much at once in 2016, and have augmented their approach to make the event more streamlined and organized. (Sign up for our free daily newsletters and Breaking News Alerts from Hillsboro Patch)

Last year, Siddiqui explained, the dinner was held in conjunction with the city's annual block party, which apparently led to a great deal of confusion among all those present because the events seemed to overlap each other. This year, Siddiqui said, HDP organizers are more focused on the dinner, opting instead to invite the rest of the community to attend the block party afterward, beginning around 7 p.m.

"Last year it was confusing to the community what was going on when there was a ticketed dinner and all-ages block party going on at the same time," Siddiqui told Patch in an email. "Instead, we are promoting for people to come down after the dinner for live music and drinks, kicking off when Pizzario begins their outdoor music."

Aside from the event's structure and food and beverage options, she said, the dinner event will be pretty similar to last year's, beginning again with a silent auction at 5:30 p.m.

Funds raised from the 2016 event went in part toward helping the HDP build its volunteer program — what Siddiqui considers the backbone of the organization.

"We worked with a team to develop our systems and infrastructure to develop volunteer roles, (and) recruit, retain, track and manage volunteers," Siddiqui said. "Funds also went into development of a strategic plan specifically for volunteer growth. Since our organization is comprised by a staff of one, we really can't do much without the help of volunteers in the community; and as a new organization, planning for volunteer growth means we are planning for our organization to grow and take on more projects."

Click here to sign up as a volunteer for the 2017 Farm to Table community dinner.

For more information, and a look at this year's menu and sponsors, visit www.HillsboroFarmtoTable.com.

Photo Courtesy: Hillsboro Downtown Partnership