Taste of Illinois Valley

[Hellonlinks]

"The annual Taste of Illinois Valley to be held at Centennial Park in Peru. The Taste benefits scholarships for the Illinois Valley YMCA and is sponsored by the YMCA. The YMCA is looking for volunteer entertainment for June. Please contact Dave Potthoff at 223-7904 if you are interested. The YMCA is also looking for area restaurants for the Taste. The Taste limits vendors of food/restaurants only and you can contact Joanne at 223-7904 if you are interested. Food booths are open to restaurants, deli, caterers, and supermarkets. For more information, contact the YMCA at 223-7904. For complete information, please go to: www.ivymca.com/taste.htm The Taste will feature great food, free entertainment and a large carnival!!"

[Hellonlinks]

"Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Taste of Illinois Valley comes to end

By Jeff
[e-mail]

After 25 years, the Taste of Illinois Valley festival is no more.
The board of directors for Illinois Valley YMCA in Peru, sponsor of the festival, decided to end it, according to Dave Potthoff, chief executive officer of Illinois Valley YMCA.
Potthoff issued a press release Tuesday announcing the decision by the board at its Oct. 25 meeting.
“With diminishing volunteers, lack of local restaurants, increased parking restrictions and neighborhood complaints, it made the Taste difficult to continue,” Potthoff said.
“Profits have dwindled over the years, and with poor weather, it is quite possible to lose money on the event.”
At its peak fundraising in the late 1980s, the event generated up to $16,000 a year, Potthoff said.
“Unfortunately, a lot of our profits were from beer sales and those types of things … and that’s not totally the image that the Y would like to be involved with either,” he said.
The festival, which ran June 7-10 this year at Centennial Park in Peru, featured live music, a carnival and food vendors representing area restaurants. Proceeds provided scholarship assistance for families and youth programs. The Y will look for other fundraising avenues to support those programs, Potthoff said."