Affinity Place was packed to the brims with people excited to get out and savour all that was available this past weekend. Savour the Southeast featured a wide variety of food and drink offerings from a multitude of businesses, and organizations from across southeast Saskatchewan. The event brought out a tremendous crowd of 2,000 people, significantly more than what was expected.
The main floor of Affinity Place was crowded almost to the point of congestion and even half an hour into the event, the lineup was to the door. Tickets which were used to purchase samples of food and drinks, exchanged hands at a rapid rate, and the delicious aroma of all the offerings wafted through the air, all to the rocking, folky sounds of All Mighty Voice, Nickeltree and Alex Runions, all Saskatchewan artists who performed throughout the night.
“I think it’s a good fundraiser event. I’m very impressed. They handled it well, although it is a bit crowded,” said Dawn Siebel, one of the many guests at the event. “We were talking to the organizers and they were saying the layout was the first thing they’d change next time, to space it out. I don’t drink, but I liked all the food I tried. In particular, the sasaktoon berry pie, perogies and tropical chicken were delicious.”
Josh LeBlanc, co-chair of the committee that organized Savour the Southeast, said the success of the event exceeded his expectations by a wide margin.
“It’s been unreal. People have come from all over. If you look at online ticket purchases, there were people buying tickets in Oxbow, Carnduff, Moosomin and Regina. They are from everywhere,” said LeBlanc.
He added that this year’s event’s proceeds are going toward a local cause, supporting the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games.
“People love it here, but there are some logistics to work on,” said LeBlanc, mentioning how crowded the main area, where the vendors set up booths was, for most of the night.
LeBlanc noted that Savour the Southeast’s popularity is proof that the farm-to-plate mentality with local producers growing in prominence and popularity, is catching on, and that there are a great deal of, what he described as, “gems on the Prairies.”
“It’s just awesome to be able to showcase what we have in Saskatchewan. Eighty-five per cent of the vendors are microbreweries, distilleries and wineries, all in Saskatchewan. It really opens people’s eyes,” said Leblanc. “We want to support and promote the local guys who are trying real hard to make it out there.
“People need to take a look and realize there are some unreal products being produced in this province.”
