FORT COLLINS, CO – Beet Street presents Homegrown Fort Collins, a ten-day event-packed celebration of locally grown food, September 25 through October 4 in downtown Fort Collins.
Homegrown Fort Collins brings together people of all ages and backgrounds to explore farmers markets, learn cooking techniques, experience new foods and develop a deeper appreciation for the community’s bounty.
Designed to stimulate taste buds and inspire the chef in everyone, the event provides a variety of demos, classes, tours and other hands-on activities that show how easy it is to use local ingredients in everyday cooking. Top chefs share personal recipes, provide shopping tips and identify area restaurants that serve local fare.
“Homegrown Fort Collins is a fun and easy way to try something new, learn from the pros, and discover where and how you can support buying local,” said Beet Street executive director Ryan Keiffer.
Beet Street is partnering with Downtown Development Authority, Be Local Northern Colorado, Northern Colorado Food Incubator, Poudre School District, Colorado State University, KUNC 91.5 FM, All Occasions Catering, Whole Foods Market, downtown restaurants and local growers to host a variety of entertaining and educational events during the Homegrown Fort Collins harvest celebration, including:
Enjoy a progressive meal at various downtown restaurants, featuring plates of fresh local food prepared by local culinary talent. Menus and maps of suggested routes available at Beet Street.org.
CSU Crops for Health will discuss cutting-edge research, happening right here at home, that uses food crops to fight chronic diseases – such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer – on a global scale.
Find certain veggies a culinary challenge? Free cooking demos by local chefs and food columnists take the mystery out of preparing curious and confusing produce. Full schedule of classes and featured ingredients at BeetStreet.org.
Enjoy a VIP experience with a top local chef: tour the farmers market, learn how to combine in-season produce, and savor the fruits of their labor during a specially prepared dinner by the chefs of Canyon Chophouse, Jay’s Bistro or Plank.
Experience a showcase of our community’s culinary best. Watch chefs perform their craft, sample their creations, and learn how to pair seasonal dishes with local craft beers.
Ticket includes:
Six hearty tapas-style courses with sides and extras
Six local craft beer samples
Cooking demonstrations and culinary storytelling
A chef’s competition finale
Visit www.BeetStreet.org for a complete listing of Homegrown Fort Collins events and weekly updates.
Homegrown Fort Collins cultivates stronger connections between consumers and growers, and acknowledges the local harvest’s cultural and economic impact on the Northern Colorado community.
“Fort Collins has deep agricultural roots, so it makes sense that enjoying food and drink with friends and family has been a cornerstone of our community culture for more than a century,” said Keiffer, who himself happens to be a homegrown product of Fort Collins. “Local growers consistently offer us fresh, quality produce at accessible locations. When we do our part to buy local, we support this important industry and strengthen our community – that’s something worth celebrating.”