As part of a recent collaboration, Detroit’s Eastern Market and the Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan, based in Troy, will host Craft Detroit, a culinary event that will provide guests with tastings of handcrafted cocktails and locally sourced food from area restaurants. The evening event will be held on Aug. 1 in Shed 3 at Eastern Market.
Participating businesses — including Bacco Ristorante in Southfield, The Mac Shack food truck, and Blackfinn Ameripub in Royal Oak — will create culinary dishes based on what’s available at Eastern Market. Two James Spirits in Detroit and Valentine Vodka in Ferndale are among those assisting with the drinks.
The event is a harbinger for culinary-related programming through Eastern Market for patients that are part of the Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan. The programming is scheduled to begin by the end of the summer.
“We’re talking about teaching our patients and their families to buy and eat healthy food when they’re going through treatment,” says Jackie McIntosh, director of development at the Children’s Leukemia Foundation. “When you’re already receiving the chemicals of chemotherapy, (medical professionals) want you to limit the other types of chemicals that you’re putting into your body.”
McIntosh says about 1,000 people are expected to attend the event. “It’s somewhat nontraditional for two nonprofits to work together like this, but it’s a good fit,” McIntosh says.
If all goes well, McIntosh says she hopes to see Craft Detroit become an annual event.
Individual tickets — which include 10 tokens for cocktail samples and unlimited food tastings — are available for $45 at craftmichigan.com, or can be purchased at the door for $50.
