An Appetite for Art: Sold-Out Mural Festival Dinner Raises Funds for Downtown Art Installations

Morgen Reynolds, President of Main Street Vero Beach, and Linda Moore, Owner of Kilted Mermaid, display a drawing by Maxine Armstrong, who is opening her Airbnb to artists for free during the Mural Festival from November 7-9

Last Monday's Mural Festival Summer Wine and Cocktail Dinner, hosted by Main Street Vero Beach and Kilted Mermaid, sold out completely -- with nearly 100 guests in attendance.

Rebecca McIlvain's soulful music set the mood for this five-course fine dining experience with wine and cocktail pairings for each course that fit perfectly with the theme. On the menu —arugula salad with peaches and goat cheese, Mediterranean surf and turf -- dishes that felt both elevated and approachable. And the servers deserve props for so smoothly weaving through the packed room with trays of double-stacked drinks, keeping everyone's glasses full without missing a beat.

Watching Skip and Dan start on arrival with a blank canvas and finish during dessert was a sight to behold. Between the silent auction and dinner proceeds, they are much closer to making the Main Street Mural Festival a reality this November 7-9. So, get ready to be part of the transformation of downtown with five permanent murals and 13 temporary installations.

Most encouraging was seeing how the community rallied -- a sold-out crowd shows people are genuinely excited about turning those blank downtown walls into something worth stopping and admiring.

Skip and Daniel perform a live mural painting demonstration at Kilted Mermaid

Skip and Daniel perform a live mural painting demonstration at Kilted Mermaid