The community’s taste buds and fundraising arms will come together once again for the 26th annual Taste of Dana next Thursday, March 28, at Dana Hills High School.
The Taste of Dana is an annual community event that is the primary fundraiser for Grad Nite–an annual celebration for the graduating seniors of Dana Hills High School in a secure, safe and sober environment. Local restaurants donate their food and time to serve up plenty of tasty dishes for the attendees, who can also place bids on numerous attractive silent auction baskets and enter into a grand prize raffle.
Typically, the event hosts over 500 attendees, and last year, the Taste of Dana raised almost $14,000 in funds for Grad Nite.
There are 14 restaurants and caterers providing “tastes” for this year’s events, including the Dana Hills High School Culinary Arts program, which will serve up ravioli. Luciana’s Ristorante and Homeslice will also provide Italian offerings, with Luciana’s serving pasta and red and white sauces and Homeslice serving gnocchi, meatballs and pizza.
There will be a diverse array of food options, including hand rolls from Good Choice Sushi, Asian fusion dishes from Starfish of Laguna Beach and street tacos from Mucho Mucho Catering. Dana Point institution Wind & Sea will serve sliders, and Sundried Tomato of San Juan Capistrano will serve soup and salad.
Once attendees have filled up with dinner items, they will find plenty of dessert options to satisfy their sweet tooth, including frozen mochas and coffee from Coffee Importers, bundt cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes, ice cream from Handel’s, cookies from Crumbl Cookies, small desserts from It’s All About the Cake and custard cakes from Jars Sweets and Things.
While guests enjoy the variety of delectable dishes, they can also participate in the silent auction, which will showcase over 100 gift baskets. Included among the prizes are gift certificates from local restaurants, shops and other businesses, tickets to local attractions and sporting events, sports memorabilia and more.
Attendees can also purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win prizes such as passes to Knott’s Berry Farm, a Buy My Bikes beach cruiser and a $250 gift card tree.
Tickets to Taste of Dana can be purchased online for $25 per person at tasteofdana.com until Wednesday, March 27, or tickets can be bought at the door for $30 on the day of the event.
Grad Nite is put on with the funds raised through events like Taste of Dana, as well as donations from the cities of Dana Point and Laguna Niguel and the Dana Hills PTSA. These monies are used to offset the costs for Grad Nite, lower ticket prices for the graduating seniors and offer scholarships to some seniors who otherwise could not afford to attend.
Grad Nite takes place the day after graduation for Dana Hills High, with approximately 300 seniors attending the festivities. The details of the event are kept a secret from the seniors until they board the bus that evening. Last year, the Dana Hills Class of 2023 enjoyed a trip to Disney’s California Adventure until 2 a.m. and then to Dave and Busters at the Irvine Spectrum until 5 a.m. for games, breakfast and other activities.
Grad Nite is not a Dana Hills- or Capistrano Unified School District-sponsored event and is planned and run by parent volunteers.