The first annual Vida / Celebrating Women festival was held on Saturday, March 9 — and it sold out!
Not only were all profits from Vida tickets sales donated to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona but women in the community were highlighted for their contributions to Tucson’s food and beverage industry, too. We had local female vendors providing wares to purchase, services to enjoy, and had representation by Microloan recipients who have benefitted from the Community Food Bank’s programs.
For those of you that missed out, it will be held in March next year and we’d love you to attend!
Support the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona
If you’d like to make a donation to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona for programs that train and support women in the culinary arts, such as Caridad Community Kitchen and their Microloan Program in partnership with Community Investment Corporation (CIC), please consider donating to communityfoodbank.org/donate.
Thank you to every role player involved in making this event a success.
We want to thank each chef for the exquisite dishes presented at the festival — they were tasty and eye-catching.
Thank you to our vendors for sharing your beautifully crafted products and fun services as well as Microloan recipients chef Cecilia Arosemena of Dish for Dosha and Dani Flower of Sunflower Superfoods for sharing your products.
Thank you P.O.M. Events and Eastland Alley for the gorgeous photo booth and to our photographers — Mariah Alysz of Rya Pie Pictures, Jim Harris of J. Martin Harris Travel & Leisure Photography, and Jackie Tran of Tucson Foodie — for capturing the celebration through your lenses.
A huge thanks to Sarah Fox Hammelman of Sand-Reckoner for the wine donation, to the Community Food Bank for your representation, and the Morning Blend for featuring Vida on your show.
Lastly, event partners — Maynards Market & Kitchen, Yelp, and Brunch Babes — thank you for your behind-the-scenes hustle that made the festival the success that it was.
Here are the tasty dishes and libations created by our female chefs and mixologist:
Wendy Gauthier (Chef, Chef Chic)
Sweet Pea Panna Cotta with crab salad, mango dashi sorbet, crab tuile, and micro greens
Janet Jones (Executive Sous Chef, Tanque Verde Guest Ranch)
Fermented Pickles and Baby Beets atop house-made, dark, torn rye bread with local quark goat cheese and smoked nopales sauce
Stephanie Kingman (Mixologist, The Parish)
Strawberry-Rose Lemonade and Sand-Reckoner Vermentino Wine-based Sangria flavored with mango, mint, and habernero
Maria Mazon (Chef, BOCA Tacos y Tequila)
Organic Mushroom Chicharrón with a chile verde pea purée, ricotta, and chile guajillo carrot sauce
Rica Rances (Sous Chef, The Parish)
Confit Sunrise Beets marinated in preserved orange aji amarillo with Brunost siphon, fennel oil, fermented honey garlic glazed pancetta, and lavender haze
Gina Skelton (Executive Pastry Chef, Casino Del Sol)
Salted Honey and Goat Cheese Mousse with almond lavender cake
Susan Fulton (Gourmet Girls Gluten Free Bakery & Bistro)
Lemon Thyme-marinated Wild-caught Shrimp in an Asiago cheese black-pepper waffle cone with organic crisped kale, Champagne-infused papaya, and a pomegranate balsamic reduction
Dominique Stoller (Executive Pastry Chef & General Manager, HUB Ice Cream Factory)
Prickly Pear Jamaica pops dipped in chamoy and Tajin
Mini Arizona Blue Corn Choco Tacos filled with Arizona blue corn and honeycomb ice cream, dipped in white chocolate and rolled in crushed honeycomb candy
Nikki Thompson (Chef-Owner, Nook)
Tucson meets Hawaiian-style Fresh Ahi Poke Shooter served with a Tajin lotus crisp
Caridad Community Kitchen and their Microloan recipients:
Caridad Community Kitchen
Broccoli and cranberry salad
Microloan recipient, Dish for Dosha Juices
Organic Juices
Microloan recipient, Sunflower Superfoods
Specialty Baby Greens and Sprouts
Wares and experiences provided by our local female vendors:
Belle Starr Salon
Braid Bar and Hair Styling
Sigfus Designs
Jewelry
Cosmic Weavers
Henna and Art
Sonoran Rosie Herbal Products
Luxury Organic Beauty Products
Batea Boutique
Curated Clothing and Vintage Designs
Creative Tribe
Craft and Paper Goods Pop-Up Shop
Heliotrope
Metalwork Jewelry
Solace Macrame
Macrame Art Installations
Photo booth fun and memories captured:
And that’s a wrap.
See you next year for delicious plates and drinks, music, and photo booth fun to support local women and raise funds for the Community Food Bank.
For more information about the Vida festival and Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, view our article: First Annual “Vida / Celebrating Women” Festival Empowers, Uplifts & Supports Women in Tucson.
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