Pick a bowl, grab lunch and fight hunger at this downtown Phoenix event

The Empty Bowls event in 2021 sold over 900 bowls. Waste Not

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Peruse artisan ceramics, grab lunch and support a good cause all in one go this Friday in downtown Phoenix.

On Oct. 13, Waste Not, a nonprofit that connects Arizonans with food that would have otherwise gone to waste, will hold its 33rd annual Empty Bowls event. The gathering, hosted with the Arizona Clay Association, will take place at Arizona Center.

Local vendors and artisans will be on-site selling their handmade bowls for $20, which includes lunch from Salad and Go. Proceeds help alleviate food insecurity around the Valley. Bowls without lunch are $10 each.

At the event, community members can browse the colorful bowls on display, purchase any that catch their eye, then head to the food tent for a salad. Arizona Center, an open-air space on Third Street between Fillmore and Van Buren Streets, offers plenty of breezy seating.

The Arizona Clay Association is comprised of clay artists who are "dedicated to fellowship, the arts, and supporting local causes," according to its website. It has helped Waste Not feed people for over 25 years.

This is the fourth year that the popular and healthy drive-thru chain Salad and Go has donated food to the event. The eatery also regularly donates to Waste Not, providing meals to many around metro Phoenix.

Waste Not began in the Scottsdale area in 1987 and has been part of the local community ever since. The nonprofit organization takes perishable food from food businesses all over the Valley and then delivers it to agencies that feed those in need, simultaneously reducing landfill waste. In 2022, the organization recovered 2.4 million meals, according to its website.

click to enlarge

Local artisans donate their bowls to the Empty Bowls event through the Arizona Clay Association.

Waste Not

Empty Bowls is a global grassroots movement led by artists around the world who partner with food-related charities. The annual event in Phoenix, which drew about 350 attendees and sold over 900 bowls in 2021, takes place every October. Folks may also donate to Waste Not's initiatives or sign up to donate excess food through the nonprofit's website.

The 33rd Annual Empty Bowls Event

Friday, October 13, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The Arizona Center

455 N. Third St.

arizonacenter.com

wastenotaz.org

This story was originally published on Oct. 13, 2022 and updated on Oct. 10, 2023.