Taste of Rockville Centre fundraiser delights local community

The Taste of Rockville Centre fundraiser, a popular annual event that fuels the philanthropic efforts of the local community, was once again a hit this year. The Jan. 31 event featured a wide array of offerings from local restaurants and breweries, attracting hundreds of foodies and supporters eager to try the best flavors the area has to offer.

This year’s event showcased 35 to 40 stations offering everything from wine and spirits to gourmet cheeses and roasted pig. Popular local establishments, such as the local artisanal cheese shop Let It Brie and the Long Beach-based Swing Bellies BBQ, which roasted a pig on the premises. This year’s tasting event featured a new addition — an oyster truck from Maris Stella Osyter Farms shucking fresh oysters for guests.

For beer lovers, local breweries including South Shore Brewery and Jones Beach Brewery offered refreshing craft brews, while Rockville Centre’s own MacArthur Park treated guests to freshly fried steaks.

Attendees spent the evening enjoying food, live music by Jerry and the Newcomers and raffles. For those looking to take home a souvenir, event merchandise, including pint glasses and wine glasses branded with the Taste of Rockville Centre logo, was available for purchase.

“It was really just a fun, enjoyable, delicious night,” Ashley Brennan of the Rockville Centre St. Patrick’s Parade Committee said

This fundraiser, which has become one of the biggest events for the parade committee, is a crucial part of the organization’s philanthropic efforts, Brennan said. Proceeds from the event go toward supporting local charities and events throughout the year.

Looking ahead, the committee is preparing for more events to keep the spirit of giving alive. The committee will be lighting up the tree outside of Village Hall on Feb. 28 to kick off the St. Patrick’s Day festivities. A big upcoming event is the Backyard Breakfast, a collaboration with the Backyard Players & Friends organization, on March 2, where community members will gather for pancakes and bacon to benefit the all-inclusive nonprofit that supports individuals with special needs.

All of their efforts build to the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which is on March 22 this year. Suzanne Murphy Sullivan, the village’s director of community development and a lifelong resident of Rockville Centre, is this year’s Grand Marshal.

For more information on upcoming events and to learn how you can support the Rockville Centre Parade Committee, visit RVCStPatrick.com.