Foodlink’s Festival of Foods to return in September

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Foodlink is preparing for its largest fundraising event of the year, as it gears up for the return of its 19th annual Festival of Foods.

The event takes an all-you-can-eat form, featuring a number of iconic Rochester food and drink vendors, including local farms, bakeries and breweries. There will also be live music by Something Else .

The event each year raises money to benefit Foodlink. The food bank is home to programs and initiatives that directly support the community by combating food hunger.

Officials told News 8 Thursday; the need is greater than ever before as more folks turn to food pantries for help.

“Since last year we’ve actually seen a 35% increase of people visiting food pantries,” said Allysha Serenati, the events and community engagement manager at Foodlink. “Obviously the goal every year is to raise more money to benefit our various programs, so we’re going to try and do that to support all the food pantries that are seeing the increase in need.”

The festival kicks off on Sept. 16 at the Rochester Public Market. Tickets are $75 for general admission, $110 for the VIP ticket, which includes a tote bag, tasting plate and wine glass. VIP users can also enter the event an hour early. You can click here to learn more, buy your tickets or donate to Foodlink.

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