THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT – however, due to an overwhelming demand for Paella in the Park tickets, we are offering a limited quantity of MUSIC/WINE ONLY tickets.

MUSIC/WINE ONLY TICKET INFO:
1. This limited ticket is $36 online only – this ticket is not available anywhere else. You will check in at the will call window.
2. If any of these tickets remain on event day, they will cost $40 at the door.
3. This ticket includes music by Blues Traveler and (5) 2 oz. pours of Old Mission Peninsula wines.
4. Additional wine tasting tickets are $2 each.
5. THIS TICKET DOES NOT INCLUDE FOOD.
6. Tickets are $36/$40 per person regardless of age.
7. Info is also available at http://www.facebook.com/porterhouse.mi.
8. Doors open at 7PM for the MUSIC/WINE ONLY tickets holders.
9. MUSIC/WINE ONLY TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE.

BLUES TRAVELER TO HEADLINE FIRST ANNUAL PAELLA IN THE PARK FESTIVAL, FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, IN TRAVERSE CITY

> $36 = Seven Wineries, Seven Chefs, Seven Spanish Paellas / Three Helpings of Spanish Paella Prepared by Local Chefs / Five Pours of Old Mission Award-Winning Wines / Live Music of Blues Traveler & Rootstand / Additional wine tasting tickets are $2 each

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
* ALL TICKET PURCHASES ARE FINAL – NO REFUNDS.
* The base price is $35 and $1 is added to support the Bay Front Parks
* Advance ticket price does not reflect outlet or online handling fees (online ticket fee is $1.99)
* While Paella in the Park is an all-ages event, it is designed for mature audiences. The focus of the evening is on wine, complex foods and live music from an adult rock band. Accordingly, tickets are $36 per attendee, regardless of age.
* Each of the seven chefs will create 3 different paellas (two for meat lovers, one for veggie lovers). The ticket price includes 3 large helpings of any of the 21 different paellas.
* Please leave your 4-legged companions at home. Thanks!
* Additional wine tasting tickets are $2 each.
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Grammy-winning band Blues Traveler, who spawned such smash hits as “Run-Around” and “Hook,” will headline the first annual Paella in the Park Festival in downtown Traverse City August 6 at the former Clinch Park Zoo grounds.

The Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula and Porterhouse Productions are teaming up to produce the first-time summer culinary and music event. Paella in the Park, which will go from 5-10 p.m., will feature the seven wineries of Old Mission Peninsula paired with seven regional chefs who will prepare Spanish paellas on-site. Each winery will host a station featuring three 36” pans in which chefs will cook paella using featured wines from that vintner and fresh local ingredients.
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What is Paella?
Paella (Spanish pronunciation: [paˈeʎa]) is a Valencian rice dish that originated in its modern form in the mid-19th century near lake Albufera, a lagoon in Valencia, on the east coast of Spain.

Many non-Spaniards view paella as Spain’s national dish, but most Spaniards consider it to be a regional Valencian dish. Valencians, in turn, regard paella as one of their identifying symbols.

There are three widely known types of paella: Valencian paella (Spanish: paella valenciana), seafood paella (Spanish: paella de marisco) and mixed paella (Spanish: paella mixta), but there are many others as well. Valencian paella consists of white rice, green vegetables, meat (rabbit, chicken, duck), land snails, beans and seasoning. Seafood paella replaces meat and snails with seafood and omits beans and green vegetables. Mixed paella is a free-style combination of meat, seafood, vegetables and sometimes beans.

Most paella chefs use calasparra or bomba rices for this dish. Other key ingredients include saffron and olive oil.

For more information, visit Paella’s wikipedia site.
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The evening will be capped by a live performance by Blues Traveler (around 8PM) at sunset near the shores of West Bay. Blues Traveler, renowned for their rousing live shows, have performed everywhere from Saturday Night Live to Lollapalooza and won a Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group for chart-topping song “Run-Around” in 1996. The song later became Billboard’s longest-charting single with 49 weeks on the Top 100 chart, propelling album “Four” to triple-platinum status. Their latest album, “North Hollywood Shootout,” was released in 2008 to broad critical acclaim and spawned hit single “You, Me and Everything.”

Tickets to Paella in the Park, which will be held in conjunction with Friday Night Live and Traverse City’s Annual Downtown Street Sale, are on sale now for $36 at www.porterhouseproductions.com. Tickets include (5) 2 oz. wine pours, 3 paella servings, a live performance from Blues Traveler and access to all festival activities. Attendees are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance, as space is limited. This event is open to all ages.

Chefs representing local restaurants including Siren Hall, Mission Table, Jolly Pumpkin, Patisserie Amie, Chez Pères, The Cook’s House, TraVino and Hanna Bistro will prepare their own unique takes on paella at the event. Paella, a rice-based dish that boasts hundreds of variations using different ingredients, is one of Spain’s most popular food entrees. Festival attendees will have the opportunity to converse with local chefs about the art of making paella, as well as enjoy food and wine samples at each station.

Paella in the Park will feature a live opening performance by Rootstand, a Michigan-based acoustic country blues, bluegrass, celtic roots, rock and reggae band. Attendees will also enjoy culinary educational opportunities, culinary authors and cookbooks, local food and ingredients sourced within a 25-mile radius from Cherry Capital Foods and Oryana Natural Food Markets, and zero-waste management courtesy of Bay Area Recycling and Porterhouse. Festival proceeds will benefit local non-profits Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula and Bay Front Parks.

The Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula feature seven distinct wineries located on the globe’s 45th parallel – the ideal climate for growing varietal wine grapes. They include 2Lads Winery, Black Star Farms, Bowers Harbor Vineyards, Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery, Chateau Chantal, Chateau Grand Traverse and Peninsula Cellars.

For more information, visit www.wineriesofoldmission.com.

More event information is posted on the Paella in the Park Facebook Event page!