July 28, 2025

This event listing is sponsored by Taste the Goodness.

The annual Taste the Goodness food and drink festival returns for its 11th year this Saturday, with a new attraction and the chance to raise funds to support those experiencing homelessness.

The event will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Aug. 2 behind the Avera Tech Center on 212 E. 11th St. in downtown Sioux Falls.

“Taste the Goodness is more than just an evening of food and drink — it’s a celebration of fellowship and generosity in the very community it supports,” said Aryn Hollaren, marketing and communications specialist for the Catholic Community Foundation for Eastern South Dakota

“Attendees will enjoy unlimited tastings of food, craft beer, wine, bourbon and plenty of nonalcoholic options too.”

Attendees must be 21 or older, and proceeds from the event benefit the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House and the Bishop Dudley Center for Families.

Last November, the Bishop Dudley Center for Families opened its doors, and it consistently is full with families working to get back into a place of their own. The Bishop Dudley Hospitality House also recently launched a transitional housing program designed to provide employed adult participants with an opportunity to establish stability in an independent living setting within the building.

Taste the Goodness attendees can look forward to more than 30 local food vendors, more than 80 craft beers from local and regional breweries and a wide selection of wine, beer, bourbon, gourmet coffee, soda and kombucha.

The night also includes games and activities, with chances to win prizes, a huge silent auction and the always-entertaining dunk tank.

This year’s dunk tank lineup will include South Dakota Speaker of the House Jon Hansen, Sioux Falls Live editor and reporter Patrick Lalley, Avera chief mission officer Dave Belde, member of the South Dakota House and CCFESD board chair Tim Czmowski, plus a friendly competition between Sioux Falls-area priests Father Jacob Doty and Father Zach Schaefbauer to see who gets dunked the most.

“New this year, we’re offering an escape room experience where attendees can assemble in teams and work through a series of puzzles to win prizes,” Hollaren said.

Spots are limited, so pre-registration is encouraged for those who want to add an element of fun to their tasting experience. Available time slots and pre-registration can be found at ccfesd.org/taste-the-goodness.

Volunteers also are needed for serving food and drinks, setup and tear down. This is a great opportunity for a group to volunteer together! Sign up on the event website at ccfesd.org/taste-the-goodness.

More information and tickets can be found at ccfesd.org/taste-the-goodness or at the gate on the day of the event. For those who cannot attend or for those who want to get a jump-start on their bidding, the entire silent auction is now open for online bidding.