Portland Ovations' Epicurean Auction Benefit to Feature Maine Restaurants 9/21

Portland Ovations is making preparations for the upcoming 15th Annual Epicurean Auction Benefit to take place at Merrill Auditorium on September 21st, 2010 at 5:30pm. Many popular area restaurants have signed on to present their delectable delights during the event, and many great items have been donated to the auction by local businesses. Bidding for the items begins online from August 30th and continues through September 17th, followed by the Epicurean event with includes both a silent and a live auction. The proceeds benefit Portland Ovations' education and outreach program, Ovations Offstage.

The restaurants scheduled to participate include: 157 Café, Azure Café, Black Point Inn, Bibo's Madd Apple Café, Clay Hill Farm, The Corner Room, David's, Dory Dogs, Foreside Tavern, The Front Room, The Grill Room, The Good Table, Grace, Havana South, Marché and The Nonantum Resort, with more restaurants still being added. The event also features desserts and coffee by Dean's Sweets and Coffee by Design. Each restaurant provides samples of some of their most popular and exciting menu items. Attendees stroll through Merrill Auditorium sampling food and bidding on silent auction items, then they proceed to the live auction on the Merrill stage, accompanied by coffee and dessert.

Some of the exciting items up for bid include an Adam Vinatieri Patriot's jersey, a score of Fiddler on the Roof signed by the show's lyricist Sheldon Harnick, as well as merchandise and ticket packages to many Ovations' events, including a "Liza Package" that features a private meet-and-greet with Liza Minnelli herself.

Ovations Offstage is integral to the mission of Portland Ovations and greatly benefits from the proceeds of the Epicurean Auction Benefit. Ovations Offstage provides free pre-performance lectures by area experts that take place backstage prior to most Ovations' presentations. Offstage offers a School-Time Performance Series that connects schools, teachers and students to the performing arts, as well as in-school workshops with artists and artist-educators, study guides, Masterclasses, post-performance question and answer sessions and provides resources for students and educators available on the Portland Ovations website. Ovations Offstage also provides community outreach through programs like Maine and Its Ties to Africa designed to explore the greater Portland community's ties to Africa and its people, as well as Traverser la Frontiere, a series of performances and activities developed to celebrate the richness and diversity of Canadian artists.

Early Bird tickets for the 15th Annual Epicurean Auction Benefit are $35 if purchased before September 10th. Regular price tickets are $40 beginning on September 11th. Tickets for groups of 6 or more are only $30 per person. To purchase tickets please call the Portland Ovations administration office at (207) 773-3150. Bidding by proxy is available for those who cannot attend the September 21st event. Everyone is welcome to browse and bid during the online auction from August 30th to September 17th by looking for the auction link on the Portland Ovations' webpage: www.portlandovations.org.

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