This year will be our 9th annual 100 Dinner and let me tell you, it is one of my favorite evenings of the year. You’d think that after having worked at every one of them some of the shine might have worn off this penny, but really and truly it hasn’t.
It’s hard to pinpoint the elements that, in combination, are responsible for the magic. But certainly it has to do with the stark beauty of a well-set table in nature – the juxtaposition recalling tales of enchanted faerie evenings. Then fill the scene with 125 ebullient foodies, the charm and power of live bluegrass, a fleet of smiling volunteers as servers, a treasure trove of talented local chefs, and course upon course of food and drink that are simply out-of-this-world, and – POW! – you have a night to remember. And yet, the 100 Dinner is still greater than the sum of its parts. I can’t explain it – it’s ineffable.
Lacking the necessary skills in poetry to translate the evening properly to you, let’s move on to a quick catalog of the central elements of the dinner. It is a fundraiser. The money earned through ticket sales and donations directly benefit our education programs for the kiddos – we get hearts and hands in the dirt.
Why the ‘100’ dinner? Because we and the chefs work super hard to source the ingredients and products from within 100 miles of Chattanooga. This is a real-deal, locally grown food event.
Also, it is served family style. Platters of decadence arrive at your table to be shared with your ‘family.’ This engenders a sweet community energy during the meal and also means that accommodating food allergies/preferences is challenging. We strive to provide gluten-free, vegan, and/or dairy-free options for most of the courses, but these chefs are cooking for 125 people all at once – on site! Like, on the farm – in the shed, over a fire, or at a picnic table. It’s darned impressive folks, and doesn’t leave lots of room for individualized plates.
The dress is farm chic, whatever that means to you – overalls, a farm dress, plaid, a big My Fair Lady hat – it’s all welcome! Except high heels. Those will do you in every time. Between the gravel, mulch, bumpy earth, and possible mud… be kind to the feet and ankles and leave the heels behind.
It is a ticketed event and it sells out. The tickets are $125 – $150 each and include the pre-meal snacks, an 8+ course dinner, music, and all the beer and wine (and water and tea) we can provide. Parking is free, though you may wish to plan to Uber/Lyft. Ah, and it’s rain-or-shine. Please join us in crossing fingers for a beautiful, sunny event day.
That about covers it. If you have more questions you can read about the 100 Dinner on our website, in the facebook event details, or you can call us. Come experience the magic. We invite you to join us, Saturday, June 15th 6-9pm.
Tickets on sale at https://crabtreefarms.org/event/100-dinner/
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