Taste Of Fair Oaks Attracts Hundreds from Around Sacramento

For the eighteenth year in a row, The Fair Oaks Chamber of Commerce held its annual fundraising event Friday evening at North Ridge Country Club.

With more than 20 wineries, 20 resteraunts, six breweries, live music and a putting range, attendies left happy and with full bellies.

"This is an awesome venue and an awesome event to come to," event coordinator, Diane Templeton said. "We had under 200 tickets left at the door, so we did a great job with presale tickets."

For $40 at the door, the hundreds who attended were treated to gourment food from the likes of Mikuni's Sushi, Fabian's Italian Bistro and Players Sports Bar to name a few. 

Local wineries and those throughout the state of California, including Cooper Vineyards of Plymouth, Vinter’s Cellar Custom Winery of Rancho Cordova, and Honey Run All-Natural berry and honey wines of Chico and Pomar Junction of Shingle Springs, provided fine wine.

"Pomar Junction happens to be our personal family wine, which grandpa founded and was an engineer on the railroad that ran from Roseville to Sparks, Nevada," Pomar Northern California Representative, Rex Everett said. "We purchased some land on the corner of El Pomar and S. El Pomar and called it Junction. Perfect!"

Seven tables were set up with items on each, where guests were invited to bid in a silent auction. Items included two JetBlue tickets to any destination, estimated at $1,000, VIP packages to El Dorado Casino, Indigo limousine service and a golf package at North Ridge Country Club and possibly the most popular item, a gift certificate good for $300 worth of Botox.

At 9 p.m., five more items were auctioned off in traditional auction style. All proceeds go to the Chamber, for future Fair Oaks Community events, with a portion ticket sales going to VIVA (Volunteers In Victim Assistance), a nonprofit, full-service center for victims of violent trauma.

Although not a fully Hollywood star-studded-event, the eighteenth annual Taste of Fair Oaks brought out many local business owners and celebrities alike, including Olympic Gold Medalist and Fair Oaks resident, Billie Mills.

"Were here exposing my wife’s art work to the community," Mr. Mills said "People come up and share with us; they were sixth graders, in the military or they had just started their teaching careers when I won a gold medal, it is truly amazing."

The twenty-one and over event went from 6p.m. until the music stopped and doors closed at 10p.m. and another well known name was there until the end.

"This is the big annual fundraisers for the Fair Oaks Chamber, of course I’m going to be here" Sacramento County Board of Supervisors District Four Representative Roberta MacGlashan stated "We have a great turn out tonight, even thought the weather isn't quite what we expect in June. There's a good crowd here supporting the great work that the chamber does everyday."