Cows ‘n Cabs returns Nov. 11 — tickets on sale now
Cows ‘n Cabs returns to Winter Park for its 11th annual fête, a favorite among the city’s foodies, on Nov. 11 — and tickets are now on sale.
The event, a sprawling outdoor gala held in the West Meadow of Central Park, unites more than 45 of the Orlando metro’s popular eateries, along with purveyors of fine wine, spirits and even cigars for a cause. Cows ‘n Cabs has raised more than $2.1 million for local charities serving Central Florida children in the decade-plus since its creation. These include Winter Park Day Nursery, Orlando After-School All-Stars and the 4Roots Farm.
Founders John Rivers, CEO of the 4R Restaurant Group, and Dave Larue, executive vice president of ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, — along with his wife, Tina — established the soiree with an interest borne of hospitality but rooted in serving the community.
“Where else will you see 3,000 of your closest friends dressed from head to toe in western wear, having the time of their lives?” Tina Larue posed in a recent press release. “We all have such a blast, and the cherry on top is that we raise a ton of money for local kids in need!”
Participating restaurants this year include event veterans such as Mount Dora’s 1921, Cholo Dogs, 4 Rivers, Morimoto Asia, The Ravenous Pig, Four Flamingos, Norman’s and Luke’s Kitchen + Bar, plus all of the Good Salt Group restaurants (Seito Sushi Baldwin Park, The Monroe, Reyes Mezcaleria and The Osprey). Newcomers include the 2023 Orlando Sentinel Foodie Award Critic’s Pick for Best Food Truck, Red Panda Noodle and, shucking live at the event for the very first time, Dean’s Oyster Bar.
“The beverage side is always competing to have the biggest and best activations,” Dave Larue told the Orlando Sentinel. “Activations” is an industry term for the creative and elaborate outdoor bar setups where the event partners serve their wares. “We have about 15 partners underneath the tent or outside, and we’ll have William Grant back making the cowboy hats. Tito’s will be our presenting sponsor with a huge activation by the stage. Overall, there will be a lot of unbelievable cocktails.”
“This year, they’re doing one called ‘Howdy, Y’all!'” added Tina Larue.
Last year’s Tito’s Christmas theme with Santa photo-ops was a hit, ‘but this year, they’re bringing in a scarecrow for the pictures. It’s going to be really fun.”
VIP Entry ($325 per person), which traditionally sells out fastest, this year features a new perk: front-of-the-stage access for the event’s live music acts. As in past years, VIP tickets also include one-hour early event entrance, private restrooms and access to two VIP-only lounges, along with all the benefits of general admission ($200 per person). This includes unlimited food from all participating restaurants, as well as wine, spirits, craft beer and Drew Estate Cigars (cigars included in ticket price), as well as complimentary valet.
Gourmet-level good times notwithstanding, Tina Larue notes the importance and value of Cows ‘n Cabs’ charity element. “Last year, we gave to so many different charities, and it made a really big difference.”
A fine example: Proceeds were able to fund two years of executive board activity for Central Florida Miracle League, a special-needs baseball league in Orlando. “This means all their administrative costs and everything they would have had to go out and fundraise for was taken care of by Cows ‘n Cabs.”
In 2023, the team hopes to knock it out of the park once again.
Tickets and more information: cowsncabs.com.
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