Unique chance for a fresh taste of the Finger Lakes

One of the top wine regions in the world, the Finger Lakes is also an exceptional destination when it comes to a wide range of agricultural products and delicious locally sourced foods. And now is your chance to taste your way around the Southern Finger Lakes. Only instead of driving from town to town, county-to-county, you’ll find over 30 different regional producers of tasty edible and drinkable treats gathered in one spot for your convenience. Friday, Feb. 22, from 5 to 8 p.m. will mark the 2nd annual Taste FLXpo at Corning Community College.

The Taste FLXpo (sounds like FLX + po, which is a play on the acronym FLX for Finger Lakes and the concept of an Expo) is a local food and beverage festival open to the public and includes a food truck, cooking and pairing demonstrations, tasting samples of locally-grown foods, Finger Lakes wine and craft beverage tastings, and a farmer’s market where guests can purchase locally sourced products. 

Finger Lakes Farm Country, a special 5-county agri-tourism initiative, is presenting this year’s event in an effort to connect residents and visitors to local food and beverage producers.

After a hugely popular debut in 2018, the folks behind this special winter festival have upped their game with a few exciting additions including improvements to enhance the overall guest experience with more space and chef-run sampling stations. More than a typical winter farmer’s market, Taste FLXpo is an opportunity for locals to meet farmers, learn about various foods grown in the area, as well as where and how to purchase those foods. The event is intended to be informational, educational, and experiential, which makes Corning Community College a fitting venue.

“The idea behind this event aligns with our vision,” said Brett Smalley, director of dining services for Corning Community College, adding, “We pride ourselves in creating the Fresh Difference. We make it a point to use fresh, local ingredients in our everyday cooking. This event allows us to utilize the products from local vendors and highlight a variety of ingredients in various ways to show the local community the possibilities and benefits of using fresh, local ingredients.”

Given their interest in bringing locally-sourced food options to students, it’s no surprise the culinary team at Corning Community College is behind one of the of the exciting additions to this year’s festival by bringing in other college chefs to run several chef stations. These stations, which will be scattered throughout the venue, will feature live-cooking demonstrations where guests can watch chefs prepare a few dishes and sample the finished products made using ingredients available at the Taste FLXpo. Recipe cards will be available for the eight different dishes being offered during the expo.

Also new this year, are special food and beverage pairing presentations and samplings. Laura Winter Falk of award-winning Experience! The Finger Lakes (recognized by TripAdvisor as one of the Top 10 wine tours in the United States, and the #1 tour in the Finger Lake region) will be hosting a special sommelier-led food and beverage pairing discussion and tasting using foods and beverages available at the expo. 

There will be locally produced spirits, craft beer, hard cider, and wine to compliment a variety of tasty treats including everything from bison and cheese to maple and honey products to fresh produce, veggies and more.

The first event was a huge success (over 500 people sampled their way through the region), but after listening to suggestions from last year’s attendees, the Finger Lakes Farm Country folks have made alterations to the layout of the vendors to make the flow more fluid and easier to navigate.

Admission is $5 per person if purchased by Feb. 16, or $10 per person after Feb. 16 and at the door and includes admission to Taste FLXpo, tastings, and a commemorative Taste FLXpo reusable shopping bag.

“Events such as the FLXpo are a great opportunity to showcase our local farmers and producers while educating our community on the benefits of purchasing local products,” said Roger Ort, Local Foods, Agriculture and Horticulture educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Schuyler County. 

“The farmers market experience,” added Ariel Kirk, Agriculture educator for CCE of Steuben County, “showcases the producer’s items and underlines the vast array of regional foods and products that are produced locally. Many can be purchased on site, and recipe cards and cooking demonstrations will help attendees recreate the tastings at the event in their own home.”

To learn more, or to get your tickets for the event, visit TasteFLXpo.com.