Tastefully Goldenrod celebrates 25 years

A homemade melange of a bouquet wafted through the air of the cozy Goldenrod Civic Club as the sounds of residents making new friends filled the room. The Berlin wall hadn’t yet fallen and hair metal bands ruled the airwaves, and at the first Tastefully Goldenrod it still felt like a family potluck dinner.

In January 1989, all the Goldenrod Chamber members went to work in their kitchens, cooking up their favorite dishes – one to share and one to auction off with a recipe card attached. It was just a little event to raise a bit of money to keep the Chamber afloat.

Then the event gathered an impressive 100 people for food and friendship. Now, June 7 marks the 25th anniversary of Tastefully Goldenrod, which is still hosted by the Goldenrod Chamber, and pulls nearly 500 community members every year.

A $15 admittance fee gets you in the door to eat all the food you’d like, featuring 15 local restaurants, grocery stores and catering companies. Later in the evening there’s a silent auction with items up for bid from more than 100 different businesses, including theme park tickets, tickets to a Tampa Bay Rays game and even a private tour of the Capital and lunch with Congressman John Mica.

While the event has become much larger over the years, it still has the same community feeling as those modest days of crock pots and dangling recipe cards, said Lawrence Phillips, who is the chair of the committee that puts on Tastefully Goldenrod and is the assistant vice president of United Legacy Bank, presenting sponsor of the event.

“It’s a good reflection of what the Goldenrod community is all about,” he said. “This event gives people the smaller, hometown touch.”

He loves seeing the familiar faces of people who come to the event year after year. And that’s because, in Goldenrod, people truly know and support each other. Bob Harvey, who has been a part of the business community and Chamber in Goldenrod for more than 20 years, said anyone attending is sure to see a friend or neighbor there.

Tastefully Goldenrod is on Friday, June 7, from to 6 to 9 p.m. at Saints Peter and Paul Social Hall, located at 5300 Old Howell Branch Road in Winter Park. Tickets for the event will be sold at the door, and cost $15 for adults and $5 for children age 10 and younger. There will be food tasting from local restaurants, a jazz band and a silent auction.

“Goldenrod is a very tight knit community,” Harvey said. “The people know each other well and take care of each other.”

There’s also a sense of loyalty. Even though Phillips moved out of Goldenrod, he still commutes there to visit the businesses he came to trust while living in the small community.

“Our slogan [at the Chamber] is ‘People do business with people they know,’ and it’s definitely true,” he said.

And if residents are just getting to know their area, Tastefully Goldenrod is a great introduction. Restaurants share their best foods, and attendees get to put a face with that sign in the business window. Darlene Dangel, executive director of the Chamber, said many restaurants that participate get new customers after they’ve tasted their food at the event.

“It really gives them a chance to showcase their best foods and show the community what they have to offer,” she said. “It’s definitely a way to get their name out.”

Proceeds help keep the Chamber up and running, paying for operating costs like keeping the lights on and computers buzzing. And the Chamber is there to help Goldenrod businesses through advertising in the newsletters and creating networking events for business owners to meet and help each other. That’s great for the community, and is a great reason to support Tastefully Goldenrod, Harvey said.