The most delicious time to be in Quaker Valley is fast approaching.
Savoring Sewickley, the largest annual fundraiser for Friends of the Sewickley Public Library, is set for Nov. 3.
This will be the 23rd installment presented by the group dedicated to supporting the bochord along Thorn Street.
It is expected to be the largest ever.
“It’s going to be huge,” said Friends president Valerie Kahrs on Oct. 23. “We’re pretty excited. We’ve gotten really good responses here as far as people getting their RSVPs in. We’ve increased the total number of tickets this year because we’ve found that when we expanded the event to cover both floors, we felt like we could accommodate a bigger crowd.”
Tickets were capped at 300 last year. They have been bumped up to 350.
More than a dozen local restaurants have signed up to participate, among them Caliente Pizza and Draft House, Mediterra Cafe, The Merrie Chef, Tracy’s Kitchen, Ultimate Pastry Shop, Andora and 424 Walnut.
Admission is $100 and includes all food and drink. Proceeds benefit the library.
Tickets can be purchased online or at the library prior to the event.
No tickets will be sold at the door.
Other activities include basket raffles and an auction for 100-year-old Spanish roof tiles that were removed from the library as part of a major renovation project last year.
Those tiles were used by local artists to create portraits and other works of art. At least 20 tiles are expected to be up for grabs at the event.
“We saved about 150 of them,” Kahr said. “Our plan is to auction them off over the next several years during our Savoring Sewickley event.”
Restaurants will be set up on both floors. The raffles and auctions will be upstairs along with the bar.
Beer was donated by Bellevue Beer, and former Friends board members Maria and Joel Swanson donated wine.
“It’s really nice seeing these local restaurants and all of our patrons come together, Kahrs said. “As a Sewickley resident who’s gone to many fundraisers, I feel like it’s really an amazing deal.
“What’s made it successful is having the support of all of these local restaurants and having the patrons who are willing to come out and have a good time and have a great night of food and drink and all of the other goodies that we’re offering up.”
Upcoming Local Events
One of the new food providers is Trish’s Truffles and Sweet Treats.
“We’re definitely a pay-it-forward company,” said owner Trish Koodrich of Brighton, Beaver County. “We like to do things that will help the community.”
She is bringing her two most popular treats, French macarons and chocolate truffles, and plans to debut a new specialty sweet — stuffed dates dipped in chocolate.
Sewickley-area residents may recognize Koodrich from the borough’s Light Up Night and other events. She brought her dessert van to breweries and fall festivals.
Koodrich is excited to come to the library.
“It’s just such a gorgeous architecturally structured classic building,” Koodrich said. “You can’t help but love the Sewickley library. It’s just beautiful.
“What they try to offer is unique and forward. They really try to keep current and have a really nice clientele. They have things for the kids all the way up to older people. It’s just a very wonderful library that brings the people together.”
Kahrs said she is eager to try the new desserts and welcome back longtime event participants such as Andora, Allegheny Country Club, Edgeworth Club and the former China Palace, now called Yamayoshi.
“We’re always excited about our new restaurant supporters,” Kahrs said. “We wouldn’t be able to consistently host this fundraiser without the ones who keep coming back that we know we can count on every year.”
More information is available at savoringsewickley.com.