Photos by Josh Premako

[KHTS]  About 90 Santa Clarita Valley residents put away the mouse and meme Sunday night for FoodieFest14, turning a Facebook group into a community potluck feast for all walks of SCV life.

“Really, it was just about getting everybody together to share with each other and bond over what is possibly the greatest bonding element, which is food,” said Todd Wilson, one of the lead organizers of the event and an “admin” for the Facebook page “Santa Clarita Foodies.”Photo of Santa Clarita Foodie admin Todd Wilson and his son.

The event was hosted at the Wolf Creek Brewery Tasting Room inside the Mann Biomedical Park in Santa Clarita from 6-9:30 p.m., and entertainment was provided by Corner Pocket, a band invited by local musician and member Jason McKay.

The Facebook group regularly exchanges recipes and restaurant discussions, posing questions such as, “which Chinese restaurant has the best cold sesame noodles in the SCV?” and “who else knows a good recipe for the habinero peppers in my garden?”

Sunday was all about sharing in-person fellowship and, of course, the food, Wilson said.

In addition to a community potluck feast including brisket, a 27-pound lasagna dish, fresh-baked sourdough bread, antojitos de chorizo and desserts to satisfy the sweet tooth of all in attendance, there was a crowd of all ages.

(Click here for a link to a photo gallery of pictures by Josh Premako.)

FoodieFest 14, which was the second annual iteration, tripled in size from last year’s impromptu gathering, Wilson said.

Photos by Josh Premako

The event’s organizers also invited participants to bring donations to the Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry, which were collected by Lori Rivas. She said the donations being sent to SCV Food Pantry totalled about $500 worth of canned foods, boxes foods, diapers and toiletries.

“People were not shy about donating,” Wilson said, and those who brought extra items were eligible for raffle tickets as part of a food giveaway that included sourdough loaves from The Speakeasy Bakery.

Photos by Josh Premako

In addition to sharing recipes, community group members returned to Facebook the morning after, questioning if such a gathering could be used to address issues beyond Final Score reviews or where one might find duck poutine.

“I think many of the world’s problems could be solved if all peace negotiations included a FoodieFest,” according to a Facebook post by Steve Petzold. “The differences that divide people seem to disappear when food is on the agenda. What a great evening together.”