Celebrate 30 years of STL Earth Day at Taste of Green Nov. 14

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The leaves may be changing colors but the efforts to go green continue as Earthday365 hosts its annual fall fundraiser, Taste of Green, from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, at St. Louis Artworks in University City.

This year, Earthday365 and honorary chairs of the event Dave and Kara Bailey of Bailey’s Restaurant Group, Tom Schmidt and Genevieve Cortinovis of Salt +Smoke, and Allyson Mace, publisher and founder of Sauce Magazine, invite guests to don their puffiest sleeves and biggest hair as they throw it back to 1989 and celebrate 30 years of the St. Louis Earth Day Festival.

Taste of Green seeks to celebrate not only the St. Louis Earth Day Festival but also other Earthday365 programming such as Green Dining Alliance and Recycling on the Go, according to Earthday365’s Karen Klaus.

“It’s a celebration to support the year-round sustainability programs,” she said. “We have amazing programs here, and some of the programs have fees, like Recycling on the Go. It costs money, but it costs us more to implement it, so we have to raise funds for it and also for the manpower it takes to go through a 700-point certification program to be a part of the Green Dining Alliance. We need money to support those year-round sustainability programs.”

The event will feature food tastings from about 15 Green Dining Alliance restaurants, including Kakao Chocolate, Bailey’s Chocolate Bar, Croquetterie, Mission Taco Joint, Salt + Smoke and The Dam. Local breweries like Urban Chestnut Brewing Co., Perennial Artisan Ales and Schlafly Bottleworks will also be on hand, along with specialty cocktails such as the Planetini and Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, both Purus vodka-based, created by bartender and Sauce Magazine staff writer Matt Sorrell.

As part of the Green Dining Alliance, restaurants participate in environmentally friendly practices within their establishments, such as reducing plastic, increasing the use of compostable products and eliminating Styrofoam.

Taste of Green will use Earthday365’s own programming, including recycling, compost and landfill stations via Recycling on the Go. Food will be served with compostable wares.

“I feel finally people are starting to pay attention,” Klaus said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to not only highlight these wonderful restaurants that are participating, but to help people become greener in their everyday practices because it’s really small things that add up.”

The fundraiser will feature activities including a silent auction, a Thanksgiving-themed raffle, a mystery wine tasting and ’80s mixtape music. Tickets are $60 and available online.

Brenna Sullivan is an editorial intern at Sauce Magazine.