Austin Empty Bowl Project is an annual event the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Read on for all the details about this year’s event.
I have been wanting to go to Austin Empty Bowl Project for years, and I’m so glad it finally happened!
This event is held all around the world and Austin’s event started in 1997. This is an incredible volunteer effort, from the making of the bowls to the day-of guidance.
Local artists and people in the community make bowls – more than 5,000 – in the months prior to the event. They gather at pottery studios to throw clay and paint designs, making each bowl unique.
On the event day, the community comes out to the Central Texas Food Bank to pick their favorite bowl (or bowls!) and fills it up with soup from a local restaurant to enjoy while listening to live music.
It was fun to look through the tables and tables of bowls, picking the perfect one. There are so many creative designs and colors. I had my eyes on a couple of options but ultimately picked a blue one. Will picked this orange bowl with a fun pattern. There were so many great bowls!
Then, we went to the soup line and picked our favorite soup. Will got a fire-roasted artichoke tomato bisque while I got mushroom soup. YUM!
Each bowl is $25 (or $20 if you get more than one) and the money goes to Kids Cafe, a program of the Central Texas Food Bank, and Meals for Kids, a program of Meals on Wheels Central Texas. Both of these programs provide after-school meals to kids from low-income families in the Austin area.
The line is long to get in, about a 20-30 minute wait, but it moves pretty quickly and there are plenty of bowls to choose from when you get inside. They’re very efficient and organized with the whole event, so just show up and enjoy it!
If you missed the event this year, consider donating on the website or directly to Central Texas Food Bank or Meals on Wheels Central Texas. Then, be sure to mark your calendars for the Sunday before Thanksgiving next year to join. I’d love to make this an annual tradition!
Do you have any traditions for giving back during the holidays?
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