1,000 ears of corn shucked and grilled... 21 cases of peaches sliced and coated with blackberry balsamic drizzle... raspberry sorbet and champagne floats bubbling...

The 7th Annual Raley's Grape Escape wowed big crowds this year at Cesar Chavez Park in downtown Sacramento, celebrating restaurants and wineries throughout the Capital region. 

Our Raley's booth was complete with fresh, locally-grown produce, under vibrant market umbrellas with hand-written signs around the park's centerpiece circular fountain. Raley's colleagues and family members dished up samples of grilled produce and refreshing bubbly to all at the event.

"The Raley's Grape Escape was a great success," said Jennifer Teel-Wolter, Marketing Manager. "It's a popular event to showcase our great selection of local produce and fine wines. We also added hundreds of new e-mail addresses to our tabletalk and Wine Club distribution through on-site registration."

Our very own Head Chef Evelyn Miliate served as a judge in a cooking competition between professional chefs of local restaurants. It was quite a showdown, with each contestant receiving a basket of fresh ingredients, a cut of choice meat and only 25 minutes to come up with a dish for the judges. The whisks and spatulas were flying – all in great fun, along with live music and art displays throughout the park.