With autumn just around the corner, many area organizations are hosting benefit dinners featuring culinary talent from the Port City and across the state.
 

Epicurean Evening

Save the date for Wilmington’s Epicurean Evening, the annual fundraiser for the Methodist Home for Children. Held this year on Thursday, Sept. 27 at the Wilmington Convention Center, the dishes and drinks are top-secret until the doors open, making the element of surprise the theme of the evening.

Thirty area chefs will go plate-to-plate and glass-to-glass to win top awards and bragging rights. Tickets are $150 per person and are available online.
 

Bellamy Mansion Dinner

The Bellamy Mansion Museum will celebrate the bounty of the season with a multi-course meal served at the historic mansion from 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 27.
 
Guest chefs include Lydia Clopton of Love, Lydia Bakery & Café, Dean Neff of PinPoint Restaurant and Ashley Capps and Travis Schultz of Buxton Hall BBQ in Asheville.
 
The dinner will include wine pairings and a specialty beer from Wilmington Brewing Company, as well as live music and a silent auction. Tickets are $150 per person. Call Leslie at (910) 251-3700 ext. 305 for reservations.
 

Raise The Barn fundraiser

 
Feast Down East will host its fifth annual Raise The Barn fundraising event from 6 to 10 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14 at the New Hanover County Arboretum.
 
The gourmet farm-to-fork event will include a wide array of tapas-style dishes prepared by local chefs with local ingredients sourced through Feast Down East’s food hub or directly through area farms and fisheries.
 
The event features live music, a silent auction and a unique opportunity to meet both farmers and chefs at the forefront of the local food movement. Tickets are $90 per person and can be purchased online.
 
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