Winter Serenade set for Jan. 28
MOSES LAKE — One year after the opening of the Advanced Technologies and Education Center at Big Bend Community College, the second annual Winter Serenade commemorating the opening of the building is being held.
The semi formal event is planned for Jan. 28 beginning at 4:30 p.m. inside ATEC with hors d' oeuvres and wine tasting.
Wineries represented include Forgeron Cellars out of Walla Walla; Wedge Mountain Winery and Vineyard from Peshastin; Cave B Estate Winery at SageCliffe; White Heron Cellars in Quincy; and Chateau Faire Le Pont from Wenatchee. Microbrews will also be available.
Dinner begins at 6 p.m. and includes a first course of Asian pear and tamari pecan salad followed by a main course of grilled pepper tenderloin with morel, potatoes del fina and a vegetable ribbon with a horseradish lemon butter sauce. For dessert a limon cello (ice cream dish) will be served.
The event raises money to fund facility needs inside ATEC such as technology updates.
Proceeds from Winter Serenade support the ATEC building so it can house local and outside groups, said BBCC information officer Catherine Holestine.
Holestine said the main focus of the event is not so much to fund-raise, but to provide a fun event where the community can come and see what the ATEC building has to offer.
The BBCC technology department is planning to purchase new video cameras to record events and capture live images from meetings.
ATEC opened in January of 2005, a $15 million project which includes a conference center and training rooms, a new library facility three times larger than the previous one and study and lab rooms. Also inside ATEC is the Paul Lauzier University Center, which provides additional office and classroom space where local students can earn baccalaureate and graduate degrees from institutions such as Heritage University and Central Washington University. The Eric and Catherine Peterson Gallery serves as a display area for artwork.
One hundred and forty people attended the first annual event.
Charles McKee, owner of Wedge Mountain Winery and Vineyard, presented wine selections last year and said he was impressed by the event put on at BBCC and decided to come back for a second year.
"The ambiance, the way the people were dressed and the fun time everyone seemed to have, it was probably one of the much better events that we'd been to," McKee said.
Changes for this year include a photographer who will be on site to take pictures of guests.
Tickets cost $100 per person, $800 for a table of eight or $1,000 for a sponsored table. Entertainment will be provided by the Central Washington University Jazz Band.
Featured wines can be purchased at the event as well.
To purchase tickets call (509) 793-2003.