IOWA CITY– The annual Farm to Street Dinner returns for a fifth summer in-person Thursday, Aug. 19, from 5-8 p.m. in the Northside neighborhood on North Linn Street in Iowa City. Tickets for the event, hosted in partnership by the City of Iowa City, Iowa City Downtown District, and Johnson County, are extremely limited and will go on sale at downtowniowacity.com on June 1 at 7 a.m.
The annual local foods event, sponsored by GreenState Credit Union, aims to increase awareness of local food being used in local restaurants, and as a way to generate funds for a non-profit that works with local food in Johnson County. The on-street dining evening supports the local food economy while bringing the community together to share a delicious, six-course meal, using locally sourced ingredients prepared by some of Iowa City’s most talented chefs that have partnered with local farmers. Featured restaurants for the 2021 event include previous participants Goosetown Café and St. Burch Tavern in addition to first-time participants Crepes de Luxe Café, Keto Kitchen, The Webster and Oasis Falafel. All funds raised at the dinner will go to support the Eastern Iowa Area Young Famers Coalition and the Iowa City Parks & Recreation Foundation community gardens. “The Farm to Street Dinner embodies what we believe– the future and fun in food is local, communal, collaborative, and of course, good tasting. We’re excited to again support and participate,” said Peter Kessler, owner of Goosetown Café.
The event has made some changes for 2021: attendees will have the option to purchase individual tickets at $125 (including taxes and fees) or an entire table for a full group of six. For the comfort of attendees, the tables will be slightly distanced from one another, but will still encompass that community table atmosphere. More space will be used for the dinner to allow for more physical distancing between the tables and seats. Unvaccinated attendees (for COVID-19) will be asked to wear a face-covering when not eating or drinking.
Along with the six-course meal, one glass of wine is included in the ticket purchase for all guests age 21 and over with valid ID. Additionally, all guests age 21 and over are welcome to bring a bottle of wine to enjoy with their meal. “Wine Doggy Bags” will be provided, allowing guests to take unfinished bottles of wine home with them.
“It’s exciting to see all the people who come out to share their passion and support of our local food system. I especially love seeing a few of our Iowa City Market farmers attending the dinner. These are the same farmers who provide the ingredients used in making the tasty dishes served. If you’re lucky, you’ll be seated next to one of them and hear their story.” said Iowa City Farmers Market Coordinator Tammy Neumann.