Lawn Party prepares its menu

The menu is nearly set for this year’s Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key’s Gourmet Lawn Party.

More than 30 restaurants will be serving up their signature dishes at this year’s event. The sixth annual event, previously known as the St. Jude’s Gourmet Luncheon, will take place from noon to 2 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Islandside driving range of the Longboat Key Club.

“It’s a great event,” said Michael Garey, event chairman and owner-operator of the Lazy Lobster. “I think at this point, it’s Longboat Key’s signature event, probably the only that draws people to a singular event on the island.”

Raffle tickets will be sold for $100 apiece with a maximum of 500 tickets available. The grand prize is $20,000 in cash. The second prize is a Universal VIP Experience. The third prize is a staycation at the new Zota Beach Resort for two, and the fourth prize, a “year of delicious dining,” which includes 52 gift cards from area restaurants. The fifth prize drawing will be for a Longboat Limousine excursion and lobster dinner for 10 at the Lazy Lobster.

Tickets for the event are $50. Tables for 10 are available for $450.

The event is the Kiwanis Club’s biggest fundraiser, and last year it netted $60,000. Garey hopes to be in that range again this year, despite lighter sponsorships. The event will benefit Manatee and Sarasota area youth. 

Every August, the Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key awards scholarships to local students, and this event aids the group in that effort.

Behind the scenes, James Linkogle, a project manager with the Longboat Key Public Works Department, helps with the staging, sound and other intricacies of the event. 

He will, however, come out from behind the scenes and perform with the Blues Pig Band.

“He’s been an asset to us for so many years on this event,” Garey said. 

Tickets are available at Longboat Key Sun Bank, the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce and at the Lazy Lobster.