Sanibel Event Marks 30th Year:

It isn't often that visitors to Sanibel Island--- as well as residents--- can come together to enjoy a hallmark Sanibel fund-raiser and get a real taste of the Island at the same time.

In its 30th year, The Taste of the Islands will be held on November 13, once again delighting those who attend with a nice variety of Island restaurant fare. The food tasting will be held from 12:30 - 5 p.m. at Sanibel Community Park located at 2231 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Island, Florida.

Set to the tune of live bands, local restaurants will descend on Sanibel Community Park with their most decadent delicacies and enter a friendly competition to earn top honors for their dish from a panel of esteemed judges and a welcoming crowd.

Over the past few decades, island restaurants have come together to put their dishes to the test in the food festival and competition. Many different food categories will be cooked up, sure to please any palate. A celebrity judge panel will decide which restaurant will win Taste of the Taste, while the People's Choice award will be chosen by attending appetites. Awards will be issued for other categories including Best Vegetarian, Best Appetizer, Best Meat, Best Seafood, Best Dessert, Best Take-out, and Best Booth Presentation. In a new a new twist this year, chefs will be challenged to incorporate one indigenous ingredient to test their culinary talent. While vying to satisfy discerning judges and hungry attendees, this event is also a great chance for local restaurants to reach a hungry audience and an opportunity to give to an island charity.

Nearly half of each restaurant's proceeds, 100% of admissions from the gate, gift store and raffle sale tents will be donated to CROW, Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife: Saving Wildlife Through Compassion, Care and Education.

A very special offering will be the music provided by two bands, Marty Stokes and the Captiva Band as well as The Riverside Band.

Marty Stokes was originally raised on the islands of Sanibel and Captiva, and appeases the musical enthusiast who enjoys great, solid rhythm and blues tunes. The Captiva Band is named after the island that is the home of Stokes' family since the late 1800s. A group of long-time friends and extremely talented musicians, The Captiva Band delivers the goods with tasteful grooves of both Stokes' originals and creative arrangements of well-known covers. Todd Haut on bass, Carv Clauson on drums, Jennifer Mazziotti on sax, Paul Brewer on keyboards, and Marty Stokes on guitar makes up the soul and "core" of this group of musical professionals. Vocalist Summer Kilgore will be joining the band for a special performance at CROW's 30th annual Taste of the Islands Festival.

The Riverside Band has been a Southwest Florida favorite since 2002. The band's members are experienced professionals with roots in New York, Detroit and the Caribbean, blending these influences into a unique musical sound. Riverside covers popular tunes in a varied repertoire of classic, world, and modern material with instrumental proficiency and lush vocal harmonies.