Northeast Opportunities for Wellness, Inc. (NOW) will hold its 7th Annual A Taste for NOW, A Taste for Life on Saturday, April 21 from 6:00 to 10:00 pm at Quinebaug Valley Community College. The event has become a celebrated annual tradition for the nonprofit, with over 150 people attending and over $8,000 raised in 2017. Tickets to the event are available for $60 per person, with proceeds to benefit NOW’s youth scholarships and wellness programs.

The event invites attendees to “taste” selections from the area’s top restaurants, caterers, and bakeries. All food provided is paired with beer and wine selections donated by Friendly Spirits. The list of 2018 participating restaurants includes: Black Dog Bar & Grille, Connecticut National Golf Club, The Courthouse Bar & Grille, Giant Pizza, The G Seven Catering Company, Inn at Woodstock Hill, The Lunchbox Catering Company, Renee’s Working Girl Catering, The Stomping Ground, Victoria Station Café, and more.

Friendly Spirits, which has provided the beer and wine pairings since the event was founded, will also donate 10% of sales made during the event to NOW. In addition to the beers & wine paired with restaurant and caterer samples, Tito’s Handmade Vodka has signed on as an event sponsor and will provide cocktail samples featuring the beverage company’s award-winning vodka. As well, The G Seven Catering Company will provide a cash bar at the event.

This is the first year that the Taste for NOW will be held in the spring and it is anticipated that the season will serve as an inspiration for the participating restaurants and caterers. NOW Executive Director Sarah Wolfburg shared her excitement for the event, “As we get ready to welcome the spring season, we felt that this was the perfect time of year to host the Taste for NOW. With our seventh year, we wanted to refresh the event and we think the addition of Tito’s Vodka as an event sponsor, and some of the new features we have planned for the event will offer something new to experience.”

For 2018, the Taste for NOW will feature music by two talented artists, Allysen Callery, a self-taught folk artist from Rhode Island, and Tristan Omand, a folk musician from New Hampshire. Wolfburg commented, “The Taste for NOW has always featured live entertainment and with the layout of the event at the lovely campus of Quinebaug Valley Community College, we wanted to encourage guests to explore the space by featuring two different entertainers.”  The event will also feature raffle items donated by a variety of businesses. All proceeds from the Taste for NOW will assist NOW in their mission to introduce area children to fitness, nutrition.

Northeast Opportunities for Wellness is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to making a positive impact in the lives of Quiet Corner children by ensuring each child’s access to wellness, including fitness, nutrition, and athletics. Serving the 10-town area of Northeast Connecticut, NOW partners with other local youth organizations to provide scholarships to children ages 3-14 who otherwise may not be able to afford such opportunities.

Tickets can be purchased online (CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE ONLINE) or at Chase Graphics, Friendly Spirits, and WINY Radio.