Flavors of the Foothills returns May 16 at Oak Hill Community Park and Forest

Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina will welcome more than 300 supporters of land conservation on Saturday, May 16, for its 16th annual Flavors of the Foothills fundraiser.

The event will again be held at Oak Hill Community Park and Forest, the conservancy’s flagship public access project. The 652-acre park is located about 10 minutes from downtown Morganton.

Tickets go on sale at 8 a.m. Friday, April 3.

Executive Chef Eric Morris of the Foothills Local Meats restaurant group will return for a second year to lead the event. Morris is partnering with Lee’s One Fortune Farm to create a meal highlighting regional flavors.

“It’s not often in my industry that you have the opportunity to positively impact our environment while working alongside likeminded community members,” Morris said. “The partnership between Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, Lee’s One Fortune, and Foothills Farm and Butchery represents our community’s shared belief of doing the right thing for the right reasons.”

The menu will feature locally sourced meats and seasonal ingredients, many grown in the agricultural fields at Oak Hill Community Park and Forest. Morris said final details are still being set.

The evening will include live music by Matt Smith and Friends, a raffle featuring local gift baskets and experiences, activities led by FCNC staff, and Catawba Valley pottery.

“Tickets for this incredibly popular event often sell out the same day they go on sale,” said Katherine Ehrlichman, FCNC’s marketing and development director. “We encourage anyone interested in attending to visit our website and purchase early.”

Tickets are $125 per person, and the event is limited to guests age 21 and older.

“Sponsorship is a great way to guarantee your place at the event while also supporting conservation in our region,” said Andrew Kota, executive director of Foothills Conservancy. “Last year, Flavors of the Foothills raised more than $80,000 to support our work protecting land and water across Western North Carolina.”

Individuals or organizations interested in sponsorship opportunities may email Ehrlichman at kehrlichman@foothillsconservancy.org.

Proceeds from the event support conservation projects across the conservancy’s eight-county service area in Western North Carolina. More information is available at foothillsconservancy.org/flavors.

Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina is a nationally accredited regional land trust focused on protecting land and water in Western North Carolina for the benefit of people and the environment.

The nonprofit has conserved more than 74,000 acres across its eight-county service area — Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Lincoln, McDowell, and Rutherford counties — within the Broad, Catawba, and Yadkin river basins.

More information, including ways to support the organization, is available at foothillsconservancy.org or by calling 828-437-9930.

— AKC