Guests will start the evening by checking in at Heritage Plaza (2nd & Main Streets, Woodland) from 5:30pm-6:30pm to register, buy day of tickets (if still available), and collect a wine glass and a Downtown Dining Passport. The passport will guide guests to designated eateries and breweries where they can enjoy wine, beer, and appetizer samples.

Swirl & Slice participants include: Uvaggio’s Wine Bar, Blue Note Brewing Company, Father Paddy’s Pub, Las Brasas Tacos & Salsas, Mojo’s Lounge and Kitchen 428, House of Shah, The Gifted Penguin with Simas Wine & Savory Cafe, A Haven Boutique, Avila Winters, Serendipity Boutique, The Parlor Salon & Spa, and The Nest.

The event will benefit Yolo Farm to Fork’s Growing Lunch Program at Whitehead Elementary in Woodland. Through the Growing Lunch Program, Whitehead students will grow, harvest, and deliver fresh fruits and vegetables to their school cafeteria to be served in their lunch program.

Promoting “farm-to-fork” values comes naturally to event organizer Christy Hayes, whose restaurant Kitchen 428 crafts meals around “seasonal, locally sourced” ingredients. In 2012, Hayes organized the first Slice & Swirl event in partnership with the Historic Woodland Downtown Business Association, “to help promote its burgeoning food scene”. Since then, the popular Swirl & Slice concept has been repeated multiple times with rotating themes.

The upcoming theme of Dia de los Muertos was chosen to honor the Mexican holiday celebrated on November 1st and 2nd. Based on ancient Aztec traditions, Day of the Dead allows families to remember friends and relatives who have died. Traditional elements of the holiday will be woven into the event, including sugar skill artwork provided by Whitehead Elementary students.

Event sponsors include the DeMassi Real Estate Group, CL Smith Trucking, Design Marketing Inc., Mojo’s Lounge, and Woodland’s Dinner on Main. Linda Henigan, Executive Director of Woodland’s Dinner on Main, praises Yolo Farm to Fork as “one of their favorite organizations”. She says the nonprofit aligns closely with their goal of “helping to educate young people about where their food comes from and the importance of filling bellies with nutritious food. A garden in every school is the perfect mission.”