Chef Andy Blanton, owner and executive chef of Whitefish’s Café Kandahar and former professional chef instructor, will join local farmers, Flathead Valley Community College artisans, local food vendors, brewers and winemakers on campus Thursday, Sept. 29, to kick off the college foundation’s biggest fundraising event of the year.

The fourth annual Festival of Flavors features 13 events highlighting eight of the Flathead Valley’s finest chefs and culinary arts students and faculty. It culminates with a grand wine tasting event Oct. 8 while raising money for student scholarships and programs.

Tickets to the kick-off event are $30 per person and include tastings from various local mobile food vendors including Amazing Crepes, Cuisine Machine, Maria’s Big Green Roaster and Sweet Peaks Ice Cream; appetizers prepared by Blanton; apple cobbler prepared by the college’s Eagle’s Nest Café.

The kick-off also includes tastings of local beers and a farmers market. Patrons may buy fresh produce from the campus garden, the  community garden on campus, Purple Frog Gardens of Whitefish and Ten Lakes Farm in Eureka.  Artwork from Art Club students, faculty and college staff will be sold as part of the festivities.

In addition, the event features a pie auction of seasonal fruit pies made by culinary arts instructor and chef Hillary Ginepra and culinary arts students. Live music and a Farm to Table presentation by Blanton and a local farmer round out the benefit.

Patrons must be at least 21 years of age or accompanied by an adult. To purchase tickets and obtain a complete list of Festival of Flavors events and featured chefs, visit www.fvcc.edu/festival, or call the FVCC Foundation Office at 756-3632.