SEBASTIAN — Hundreds of Sebastian residents took to the streets Friday night in search of sweet treats and sweet deals during the Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce’s seventh annual Light Up Your Grill Night.
It was an opportunity Kristen Linsky couldn’t pass up for Indian River Podiatry, which recently opened a satellite office in Sebastian, expanding from its Vero Beach home office.
“This is a chance for us to introduce ourselves to the community,” Linsky said as she put the finishing touches on her booth out in the parking lot in front of the office. “We’re really excited about it.”
Among the first to stop by Indian River Podiatry was the Kidd family, consisting of Justin Kidd, his four children, and their grandmother, Omi Kidd.
Omi has attended the event before and “I realized, the kids would have fun,” she said.
And fun they had – sampling mini-cupcakes, playing cornhole toss, and taking home liquid bubbles.
Omi said she was taking charge of the family’s outing by mapping out what businesses they were going to stop at.
Those offering ice cream were at the top of the list, according to Justin.
“It’s a good motivator,” he said.
Omi perused the map of participating businesses provided by the Chamber and selected an area that offered up several businesses within walking distance of each other.
“We’ll be able to walk and burn off” the treats, Justin said.
A few doors down from the podiatry office is A Hidden Oasis, which has participated in Light Up Your Grill Night every year from the start.
“We’ve been here 10 years,” co-owner Wendy Albey said. “We truly are a hidden oasis.”
Co-owner Michelle Luke said they keep participating in the Light Up Your Grill Night because of the comments they get from the public – “I didn’t know you were here!” is often the refrain they hear.
Celebrating Light Up Your Grill Night at A Hidden Oasis was long-time patron Rosemary Graham, who was allowed to set up her table at the store to offer her own line of jewelry.
“It’s great,” Graham said of having the opportunity to reach potential customers she might not otherwise have been able to reach. “Everyone loves jewelry.”
Out to enjoy the food was Mayor Bob McPartlan and his wife, Aimee, who stopped by the Chamber of Commerce to pick up their map of businesses and a sample of the cantaloupe chutney coated chicken wings.
“It’s good,” Aimee said of the chicken.
Mayor McPartlan said he and the family usually attend the annual event as a way to scope out the businesses, enjoy the food and talk to people. He said he’s heard from several businesses that they are optimistic and there are signs of economic improvement.
Each year, the Chamber selects a special fruit to highlight, turning it into a challenge among the restaurants to come up with the most unique treats or displays. This year, it was the cantaloupe’s turn.
“I had to make it up,” said Maggie Sammons of her recipe for cantaloupe chutney, which was used to coat grilled chicken wings served at the Chamber of Commerce. “There’s not a lot of recipes out there.”
She first thought to make a cantaloupe glaze, but the fruit didn’t thicken the way it needed to, she said.
Though she’s been cooking for the Chamber for the last four years of the event, Sammons said she had no input on what the fruit would be this year.
When she heard it was going to be cantaloupe, she recalled her reaction as being, “Are you kidding me? Oooh cantaloupe – that’s a challenge.”
The Chamber sent out secret judges to the 30 businesses to determine which had the best tasting cantaloupe, the best looking cantaloupe and the most original cantaloupe.
And the winners are:
- Best Taste – 3AM Deli for unique and delicious samplings of cantaloupe delicacies, including cantaloupe tarts, chilled cantaloupe soup, and cantaloupe smoothies.
- Best Creativity – Kim Ellis Insurance Services for hilarious display of “Cantaloupes in Disguise” featuring a cantaloupe snowman, cantaloupe caterpillar, cantaloupe Easter egg, cantaloupe alligator, and cantaloupe jack-o-lantern people.
- Best Originality – St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church for the huge spread of cantaloupe treats including salsa, salad, smoothies, cake, sorbet, and mousse; and for the cantaloupe carvings/displays that included “Jonah and the Whale”, cantaloupe candle centerpieces, cantaloupe swan, cantaloupe flower basket and cantaloupe turtle.
- Best Overall – Advanced Foot & Ankle for the Tropical Cantaloupe display and spread that included cantaloupe carved underwater creatures. The company also offered face painting, sno-cones, and a dunk tank.
