As the Bonnaroo Arts & Music Festival continues its domination of the festival circuit, the goodness expands with the newly-announced BonnaROOTS Community Dinners. These locally sourced, four-course feasts allow festival-goers to eat for a cause at a beautiful 110-person communal table, taking place right under the gorgeous Tennessee skies.
Bonnaroo introduced the BonnaROOTS Community Dinners just last year and is excited to bring them back to the festival on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, June 11, 12 and 13, 2015 at 6:00 p.m.
All of the proceeds from the dinners go directly to BonnaROOTS partners, Oxfam America and Eat for Equity. Oxfam America saves lives, develops long-term solutions to poverty, and campaigns for social change; Eat for Equity builds a culture of generosity through community meals that benefit various nonprofit organizations.
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Uniquely, Eat for Equity Founder and Executive Director Emily Torgrimson has created the menu; the meal itself will be made entirely by a team of volunteer cooks as well as guest musicians – last year Thao and The Get Down Stay Down were in the kitchen. All ingredients are sourced exclusively from within 200 miles of Bonnaroo’s farm, and all herbs come from the Bonnaroo Victory Garden, which is located onsite and gives visitors the opportunity to learn about wild foraging, composting and growing a garden.
Inspired by Southern heritage cooking, a preview of the BonnaROOTS menu includes:
“Make your own soda bar” with Victory Garden Herbs
Local cheeses and grilled bread with strawberry pepper jam
Greens with Benton’s Aged Country Ham, Pickled Eggs, and Herb Buttermilk Dressing
Fresh vegetables
Parmesan grits
Purple cape beans with fresh herbs
Tomato Gravy
Pulled pork
Lemon Buttermilk Panna Cotta with fresh berries
As in 2014, special guests will join diners for this unforgettable meal on the farm and there will be 10 table hosts. Last year, guests included Bonnaroo co-founders, Bonnaroo producers, artists and activists. As an added bonus, Eat for Equity will also be sharing the menu in a free cookbook form after the dinners.
There are two tiers of tickets for the dinners, which will go on sale in the coming weeks at the official Bonnaroo site. Top tier tickets are $75 and include a sustainability goody bag. General tickets are $50. Last year, tickets for BonnaROOTS Community Dinners sold out within four hours. Volunteer opportunities are also available for the event so that the dinners remain accessible to all festival goers.
