Bowls of Hope: Sarasota’s Soup and Art Benefit
All Faiths Food Bank brings Bowls of Hope to Ed Smith Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 9. Taste soups from top local chefs, take home a handcrafted bowl, and help fill empty plates across Sarasota.
Soup, Art and a Stadium Full of People Who Won’t Stand By
If you believe a bowl can mean something, show up on Sunday, Nov. 9. All Faiths Food Bank is bringing Bowls of Hope back to Ed Smith Stadium, turning a ballpark into one of the season’s most talked-about charity gatherings. Think great local soups, bread and desserts served by dozens of area restaurants and caterers, plus handcrafted bowls you actually want to take home.
What Bowls of Hope Actually Is
Bowls of Hope is part community celebration, part serious fundraising. The premise is classic and effective: sample a variety of soups from top Sarasota-area kitchens while supporting the food bank’s work to feed neighbors in need. Guests choose from beautiful, handcrafted bowls donated by local potters, artists and students. Those bowls stand in for the empty dishes the event helps to fill through donations and ticket sales.
Where and When
Date: Sunday, Nov. 9. Location: Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. The ballpark provides a roomy, familiar backdrop where the community gathers to eat, mingle and make a measurable difference.
Why You Should Care
Bowls of Hope is one of the community’s larger and more popular philanthropic events, blending food, art and hands-on giving. It is equal parts taste test and local pride. Local restaurants get to show off their best recipes, students and artists get exposure for their craft, and attendees leave with a handcrafted keepsake and the knowledge that their dollars go directly toward feeding people in our region.
What to Expect
Expect long, friendly lines and generous portions. Chefs and caterers set up tasting stations with soups, breads and desserts. Community tables fill quickly, conversations flow, and the mood is upbeat but purposeful. Instead of leaving with a paper program, you leave with a ceramic bowl that symbolizes the work you helped finance.
Local Flavor
This is a West Florida event through and through. The bowls arrive from area studios and classrooms, and the food is a snapshot of the Sarasota and Bradenton culinary scene. From gumbo-style comfort to lighter coastal broths, the menu celebrates the diversity of local kitchens while centering the event on a single, urgent mission – to address hunger close to home.
How to Get Tickets
Tickets and event information are available at allfaithsfoodbank.org. The site includes details about times, ticket tiers and any VIP offerings. If you plan to go, buy in advance; Bowls of Hope fills up and the best bowls are often snapped up early.
Leave Something Behind
Bowls of Hope is more than a good meal. It is a ritual of solidarity: artists and students craft bowls, restaurants pour out soups, and the community contributes money and time. The bowl you take home becomes a reminder that hunger is solvable when people come together.
Mark your calendar for Nov. 9. Show up hungry, leave with a bowl, and know you helped fill empty plates across Sarasota. For tickets and full event details, visit allfaithsfoodbank.org.
