- December 4, 2025
Taste of Ormond is coming back to Rockefeller Gardens, this year with a Hawaiian flair.
The 12th annual Ormond MainStreet event will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 19, at 26 Riverside Drive, and have a Hawaiian Luau theme. Taste of Ormond will feature fire dancers, music and entertainment from Polynesian Fire.
Attendees will be able to sample dishes from over a dozen local restaurants and enjoy live music from singer Heather DeSantis and a charity raffle. Each table will receive two complimentary bottles of wine, with additional options available for purchase, and S.R. Perrott will host a wine and craft beer tasting area.
While traditionally held in the spring, this upcoming Taste of Ormond event marks the first time it will be held in the fall.
This will also be the first time participating for a number of the restaurants, including Alexander's, Margarita Island and Novel Tea Book Shop, which has a cafe.
"It's a good way to celebrate and promote the restaurant," Ormond MainStreet Executive Director Becky Parker said. "We are always doing our best to advocate for 'eat local, shop local, support locally-owned businesses.. So we love that we have great representation from them this year. It's also a way to just bring people together."
Taste of Ormond is the only fundraiser for Ormond MainStreet, Parker said, with proceeds going toward the support of local business marketing grants, new district initiatives and community events, art and entertainment.
"The rest of our events are not designed to be fundraisers," she said. "They're really for the community. This one is for us and this helps us keep our doors open throughout the year."
Ormond MainStreet Board President Thomas Caffrey said their volunteers are a critical part of their organization, which is on its 30th year.
According to Ormond MainStreet's annual report, volunteers performed work that would have otherwise amounted to a $156,000 cost to the nonprofit.
"I don't know of a single organization in East Volusia that has the volunteer pool that we have," Caffrey said.
For Taste of Ormond, he said there will be about 30-40 volunteers.
As for the food? Attendees can look forward to dishes like sirloin sliders from Alexander's, cupcakes and shortbread cookies from Novel Tea, smoked spare ribs and pulled pork from RiverGrille, roasted cedar plank salmon with jalapeño and apricot glaze from Stonewood and homemade carrot cake from Good Vives Scratch Kitchen.
Tickets cost $100 per person, with VIP seating available at $125 per person. Tables (seats 10) cost $900 or $1,150 for VIP.
There is also a Mixology Experience, where for $25 per ticket, people will receive three signature drinks crafted by local bartenders. These tickets are limited to 100.
Visit www.tickettailor.com/events/ormondbeachmainstreet/1490594 or call 386-492-2938 for more information.
