Adam Prudhomme
Beaver Staff
Local food and beverage entrepreneurs will be in the spotlight during the Napanee and District Chamber of Commerce’s new event known as The Take Over, which goes May 5 at the Lennox and Addington Agricultural Society arena.
Brewers, distillers, chefs and food vendors from L&A and Prince Edward Counties will all have the opportunity to showcase their products to an expected crowd of both local and out-of-town visitors.
“It’s definitely something that’s trending right now and something that we don’t have in Napanee,” NDCC business manager Megan Smith said of a food and beverage showcase. “It’s something I thought I would bring to Napanee. The Chamber has never run a spring event and I felt like those members and the businesses that are in the food and beverage industry haven’t had something like this so I thought it would be a good way to bring in the community and also showcase the local products and services.”
Smith says it’s a way to bring attention to a quickly growing sector in the region.
“We reached out to the local people first of course,” said Smith. “The breweries, cider companies and people like Cole (Miller) from 12 Barrels and all the food companies around here and restaurants and we were like, we can definitely do this. The (Prince Edward County) Chamber of Tourism and Commerce have been really supportive as well because we know they have a plethora of food and beverage as well in the county.”
Sponsorships and other promotional events connected to The Take Over are available to Chamber members and other local businesses.
Smith says they are still seeking sponsors, vendors, volunteers and local entertainers for the event.
Early bird tickets for the event are now available until April 6 for a cost of $12 or $40 for a group of four.
After April 6 the cost is $15 for individual, $55 for a group of four. All paid tickets come with a souvenir sample cup and two tokens.
The Take Over is an all ages event. Kids 12 and under are free, while anyone 13-18 can get in by bringing a donation to the local food bank.
For more information visit www.napaneetakeover. wixsite.com/thetakeover or e-mail napanee.takeover @gmail.com. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at old arena on York Street.