Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation—one of Portland's premier annual food events—will return to McMenamins Crystal Ballroom to celebrate its 27th year benefiting an extremely important cause.

More than 250,000 Oregonian children are food insecure, making Oregon one of the hungriest states in the country. Food insecurity is especially a concern in isolated rural communities, which often have limited access to fresh and affordable foods.

Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry program uses proceeds from national events like Taste of the Nation to connect children to food and nutrition efforts like school breakfast, summer meals, and SNAP (food stamps), as well as empowering kids, parents, and families with cooking education programs and healthy food shopping skills. 

Portland's show-stopping, belly-filling event will once again fill McMenamins Crystal Ballroom on Tuesday, April 29, bringing together dozens of amazing local restaurants, distillers, brewers, and wineries to benefit local non-profits working to address hunger in Oregon:

In addition to supporting Share Our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger nation-wide, this year’s local beneficiaries include the Oregon Food Bank, Partners for a Hunger Free Oregon, St. Vincent DePaul Society, and Klamath/Lake Counties Food Bank.

The wine will be flowing, the beer and cider will be tapped, and the cocktails will be shaken all night long. Best of all, the price of just one general admission ticket will help over 18 people eat a nutritious, filling meal. We’ll raise a glass to that. Tickets for the event start at just $85, and can be purchased by heading to the Taste of the Nation 2014 website—where you'll also find information for prospective volunteers!

Ready to get hungry? Check out our slide show of photos from last year's gut-busting event!