Taste of Our Towne II is Saturday at Poway Center for Performing Arts

By Emily Sorensen

The Poway Center for the Performing Arts’ fundraiser, “Taste of Our Towne II,” is fast approaching. The event is being held 5 - 10 p.m. Saturday, June 15 at the PCPA, 15498 Espola Road.

Taste of Our Towne II will offer food and wine tasting, as well as live music, dancing and a live and silent auction. The funds raised will support the POW! Foundation’s Art in Education Initiative, as well as help fund the Professional Performance Series.

“Taste of Our Towne II is an important part of POW! Foundation’s ability to provide quality programming at the center and in our schools. Ticket sales cover only a portion of the costs to present our Professional Performance season and keep arts education alive in our schools,” said executive director Michael Rennie in a press release. “This fabulous party, brought together by our exceptional committee, makes these programs possible.”

Participating restaurants include Carver’s Steak and Chops, Café Merlot, Poway Sushi Lounge, Rancho Bernardo Inn, Company Pub and Kitchen, Champagne Bakery, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Luc’s Bistro, Miguel’s Cantina, Bernard O’s and Yanni’s Bistro and Cellar.

Wine will also be available for sampling from Ramona Ranch Winery, Old Coach Vineyards, Milagro Farms Vineyard and Winery, Highland Hills, Mahogany Mountain Vineyard and Winery, Kohill Winery, Chuparosa Winery, Edwards Vineyards and Cellars, Salerno Winery, Abnormal Wine Company and Woof’n Rose Winery. Wine is available by the glass at the Lobby Bar, and the commemorative wine glass is yours to take home.

Live entertainment will be provided by The Pizzaro Brothers, performing jazz, and the Latin fusion sounds of Gipsymenco for dancing. NBC 7’s Whitney Southwick will serve as master of ceremonies.

A live and silent auction will offer over 60 exciting items and events to bid on, including collectible musical instruments, donated by Bertrand’s Music, including an acoustic electric violin signed by Natalie MacMaster and a Kala concert ukulele signed by Jake Shimbukuro, a hosted day of sailing on San Diego Bay with refreshments, a whale and dolphin watching harbor cruise, a dolphin watching adventure, rounds of golf, dining experiences, tickets to performing arts venues, the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, fine art, jewelry and much more.

Also at Taste of Our Towne II will be the final raffle drawing for the Pow! Raffle, where one lucky winner will win a two-year lease on a 2013 Lexus CT hybrid. Only 400 tickets will be sold for the raffle, at $100 dollars each.

Geico will sponsor a safe ride home to any attendees .

Tickets are $100 each, or $800 for an entire table, and are available online at www.powayarts.org or by calling 858-668-4798. This is a 21 and up event.

To enter the raffle for the Lexus, visit www.powayarts.org/lexus_2013.asp.