Food for Thought guests will get the Main Library to themselves on Thursday from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm, to enjoy a night of socializing and dining at stations from 10 chefs, beverage providers, and restaurants:
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Eudell Watts, III, of Eudell's Specialty Foods
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Martha Cleveland of Blue Cat Brew Pub
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Annette Zapolis, of Cool Beanz Coffee House
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Kitchen Express program of Thurgood Marshall Learning Center
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Chefs d'cuisine culinary arts program of Scott Community College
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Jose Zepeda of QC Coffee & Pancake House
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Main Street Catering of the Rock Island Holiday Inn
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Mark Mueller of Moe's Burgers and Brews
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Brewmaster Dan Cleaveland of Brew Cat Brew Pub
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Vintner Jennifer Mital of Creekside Vineyards
In addition to dining around the library, wine and beer tastings, and complimentary soft drinks, guests can enjoy musical entertainment by RiverCity6, bid on a wide variety of silent auction items, try their luck in a mystery wine pull of vintages selected by wine distributor Thad Miller, and picture themselves on a Great American Novel, thanks to a donation of a photo booth for the night.
Silent auction offers include the chance to win a Little Free Library for your own front yard, built and donated instructor Jamie Brown of Thurgood Marshall Learning Center. Other packages include free window cleaning, a laser-cut steel Christmas tree from Crawford Company, Theo's Java Club brew basket, overnight stays to Jumer's Casino Rock Island and Holiday Inn Rock Island, tickets to Ballet Quad Cities, Circa 21, the Quad-City Symphony, drive-in theater, Joy Murphy stockings, paintings by Mark Schwiebert and Elaine Rexdale, Vino Van Gogh painting parties, and a variety of signed books.
Admission of $40 per person includes all food and beverages, and is payable at the door by cash, check or credit. To RSVP, please call 309-732-7326 or email riplfoundation@gmail.com. Walk-in admission is also allowed.
The Rock Island Public Library Foundation hosts the annual event to raise funds for books and literacy, as well as awareness of the Foundation's role in enabling special projects that fall outside of the library's tax-supported budget. Additional support for the event was provided by participating chefs, Northwest Restoration, Friendship Manor and Sedona.
While the Main Library will be closed after noon on Nov. 12, the Rock Island 30/31 and Southwest Branches will be open for patrons, as will the library's online branch services at www.rockislandlibrary.org. For more information, visit the library website or call 309-732-READ.
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