Coming out of One Spark, there are a lot of people Gastrofest wants to thank. First, we thank the folks who listened to us pitch and the folks who voted for the idea. We’re grateful too, that you are passionate about where Gastrofest is going to be held and that you shared your opinions with us.
We placed 11th out of more than 600 projects overall and were 7th in the category of Innovation. We also just won Void’s Golden Ticket. We’d like to thank Void and Adjective & Co. for choosing us. It’s a tremendous opportunity to spread our message and make Jacksonville even more awesome!
The Liquid Extrovert
Besides our own, dynamic core team, we’d like to thank the volunteers who threw themselves into making Gastrofest a reality: Jessica Fields, Tim Hartman, Meghan Green, Jenn Borman, Katherine Stevens and Alice Gould, you were great.
We also appreciate the guests we hosted at our booth. The Organic Adventurer informed us about the locavore movement and did a tasting of fresh veggies donated by Berry Good Farms. Chef’s Garden served some delish sliders made with the local flavor of Intuition. The fantastic folks of Tapa That graced us with their presence for a total of three times over One Spark. The Flying Iguana showed the crowd how beautiful and scrumptious South American-inspired food can be. SunRAWise introduced us to their superb vegan cheeses. The Jax Beer Guy talked local brews. Ovinte let people know about their independently-owned restaurant at the St. Johns Town Center by serving up delicious food and delightful cocktails. Vegan Comfort gave us a taste of their take-away vegan, which they offer every weekend at the Riverside Arts Market. Cafe Freda’s curry, from their global comfort food menu, filled the bellies of lots of One Sparkers! Jeffery Spear did a demo of basic cooking techniques and introduced folks to his cookbook on our local culinary heritage. The Liquid Extrovert served up Florida wines and talked about our local vines. Tres Leches Eatery was a hit with their excellent paella! Chick Nuts gave out samples of their new product.
Berry Good Farms
Each of our guests did much more than help us get votes for One Spark. They helped us in our mission to expose as many people as possible to our local flavors. The Gastrofest team thanks you all, not just for your support, but for the inspiration you provide! (And the deliciousness!)
Fellow creators partnered with us in our mission as well. We supported their efforts because what they are doing also promotes good food on the First Coast. Down to Earth Farms provided us with great-looking greenery. Conscious Eats served up yummy slaw. Berry Good Farms gave out great farm-to-cocktail libations and donated some farm-fresh vegetables for a snack tray. Thank you all so much!