New this year we have introduced a short shuttle! instead of parking along the road or risk getting stuck in parking lot congestion, park at the corner lot of Aviation way and Corporate way and take our short shuttle! The shuttle will run every 10 – 15 minutes and the waiting area will be sheltered. Consult the map to see where this parking lot is located. It is on the corner before turning onto Aviation Way to arrive at Neptune Aviation. We sold out tickets this year, so we expect the main lot to fill up fast!

We will be honoring three community members who have been committed to ending hunger in our state. We will list the honorees on your program and an award ceremony will take place during The Taste. We don’t want to ruin the surprise, so you’ll just have to come and see!

We are proud to present the musical stylings of the John Floridis Trio and Tom Catmull. Both bands will be playing all night long for your entertainment. These guys will definitely get you grooving before long. Make sure to bring your dancing shoes, because it’s going to be one heck of a party!

Everyone loves taking pictures of their food! The Taste will be the prime event to make all your followers jealous of the great eats to be had. We will also have some great new banners, gorgeous centerpieces, and fun decorations that are all selfie worthy. Have a great time and share it to your favorite social media platform. Make sure to tag your posts with #TheTasteMontana

Did you know that the Montana Food Bank Network is the only statewide food bank in Montana? That’s right, we have 140 partner agencies across the state serving everywhere from Heron to Wibaux, Eureka to West Yellowstone and everywhere in-between. We respond to disasters like the wild fires last summer that displaced many in Seeley Lake or the recent winter storm that cutoff thousands from food on the Blackfeet Reservation. The Governor even highlighted our work in a recent article.

It takes a lot of work to provide access to fresh nutritious foods across the state. We are happy to be able to provide food to our neighbors in need, but we can’t do it without your help. We’ll have a donation center setup during The Taste where we’ll have a goal of raising $10,000 in one night! We know it’s ambitious but that translates to 30,000 meals for the 120,000 food insecure people in Montana. Do you accept the challenge?

Have you ever wondered who the awesome people behind the Montana Food Bank Network are? Well The Taste is a great chance to get to know us a little better. Most of us will be at the event, so come and say hi. You can use this picture as guidance. Hint: we’ll be wearing name tags 🙂

What’s a Spoon Pull Raffle? Watch our short informational video to learn about this unique raffle system where everyone wins. We have some great prizes donated by all of your favorite places around town, like Notorious P.I.G., The Trough, Highlander Brewing, Southgate Mall, Wheat Montana Bakery and many more. The grand prize is two round trip tickets from Alaska Airlines. Fly anywhere Alaska goes, with no blackout dates!

If the raffle isn’t your thing checkout our Silent Auction table. We have some truly unique items to bid on, like a guided fishing trip for two or a vacation stay at Silverwood Park in Coeur d’Alene. Use this link to get a preview of what will be available at The Taste tomorrow. Make sure to turn in your Silent Auction registration on the last page of your program to streamline the bidding process. Bidding will close at 8pm and you do not have to be present to win the prize, we can contact you after The Taste if you win. We will accept check, cash or credit/debit card as payment options. No online bidding this year, but we’re gauging interest for next year.

Bitterroot Bison will be debuting their Bison Bone Broth at The Taste. This a preview before they start selling it at The Good Food Store. Make sure to get a sip of that soul warming liquid before they run out! Draught Works and Sweet Peaks made a special collaboration ice cream just for you! You can get a scoop of the Lunchbox Peanut Butter Brown Swirl and wash it down with the Lunchbox Peanut Butter Brown Ale. If that isn’t enough, Montana Distillery will be using Lolo Peak’s 3 Needles IPA to make their 3 Doves cocktail! Gotta love Montana’s collaborative spirit.

When you’ve had your fill of delicious food and drink, we have an important task for you. We need you to place your votes for The Tasties! There are three categories: Tastiest Pairing – the best combination of any two tastes, Tastiest in Show – the best overall menu, and Uniquely Tasty – the one taste that just had you going back for more. You can write your votes on the back of the first page of your program and drop it off at the donation center. We will count the votes after the event and announce winners on Facebook. Stay tuned to our event page, we’ll let you know if your favorites won!