How many of the restaurants at a Village food festival are actually from the Village? For the Rotary Club of Sedona Village's second annual Taste of Sedona Village, on Sunday, October 18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Collective Courtyard & Grotto, nearly all of the vendors whose addresses can be confirmed are Village businesses. Most of them are on a short run of State Route 179 between Big Park Bakery at 6446 and The Collective's own 7000 block.
That shapes what the afternoon is. It isn't a regional food fair that happens to be held in the Village of Oak Creek. It's a sampler of the corridor around the venue, with a few guests from farther away. The People's Choice ballots decide which of those dining rooms keeps a trophy on display until next fall.
Fifteen Vendors, and the Addresses Behind Them
Sedona.biz reported on September 24 that the event had reached capacity for food businesses. The 15 confirmed names are Doc's BBQ & Whiskey, Juniper Bar & Grill, Willy's Empanadas, Dellepiane, Miley's Café, Tortas de Fuego, Clark's Market, Gerardo's Italian Kitchen, Flew the Coop Hot Chicken, Big Park Bakery, Firecreek Coffee, Rak N' Sak, DA Vines, Carolina's Chocolate and Bosa Donuts.
Here is where the vendors with published addresses are located, based on each business's own listing:
| Vendor | Address | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Big Park Bakery | 6446 AZ-179 | SR 179 corridor |
| Rak N' Sak | 6500 AZ-179 | SR 179 corridor |
| Flew the Coop Hot Chicken | 6507 AZ-179 | SR 179 corridor |
| Firecreek Coffee | 6586 AZ-179 | Village of Oak Creek |
| Miley's Café | 7000 AZ-179 | Village of Oak Creek |
| Willy's Empanadas | 7000 AZ-179, B110 | The Collective address |
| Dellepiane | 7000 AZ-179, C-106 | The Collective Plaza |
| Clark's Market | 100 Verde Valley School Rd. | Village of Oak Creek |
| Juniper Bar & Grille | 35 Ridge Trail Dr. | Sedona Golf Resort |
| Gerardo's | 2675 W. SR 89A | West Sedona |
| DA Vines | 705 N. Main St., Suite A | Old Town Cottonwood |
Three of those businesses, Miley's Café, Willy's Empanadas and Dellepiane, share the 7000 AZ-179 address with the venue. Dellepiane's own site places it at The Collective Plaza in the Village of Oak Creek. For those three, the event is next door. Juniper Bar & Grille comes from Sedona Golf Resort on Ridge Trail Drive, and Clark's Market comes from Verde Valley School Road. Both are a short drive off the same highway.
Only two confirmed vendors come from clearly outside the Village. Gerardo's comes up from West Sedona on SR 89A, and DA Vines comes from its Old Town Cottonwood tasting room. Published addresses weren't available for Doc's BBQ & Whiskey, Tortas de Fuego, Carolina's Chocolate or Bosa Donuts, so the table leaves them out instead of guessing.
Year One Was Smaller and Started a Week Late
The corridor focus was there from the start. The inaugural Taste was first advertised for Sunday, October 12, 2025, in the Grotto at The Collective, 7000 AZ-179. It was then pushed back a week. Sedona Red Rock News reported that the event finally ran on Sunday, October 19, with booths set up around the green near The Collective.
The reason for the delay was ground conditions, not the forecast. Rotary director Jennette Bill told the paper the grounds would have been too muddy on the original date even with sunshine, and that "they had to turn the water off several days in advance."
The first year had about a dozen booths, including Clark's Market, Doc's BBQ, Rocky Road Ice Cream, Miley's Cafe, PJ's Pub and Lumberyard Brewery from Flagstaff. The crowd was described as "a couple hundred people." Two more local businesses had planned to take part but pulled out after a busy weekend and signed on as sponsors.
This year the lineup reached capacity a month ahead with 15 food businesses, and the venue is listed as The Collective Courtyard & Grotto. The prizes changed too. Last year about 40 raffle baskets were given away, valued from roughly $60 to $600 each. For 2026, Rotary has collected more than 20 raffle prizes worth over $4,000 combined, covering golf, dining, recreation and a resort stay, and has added a silent auction of higher-value items.
The Trophies Stay on Village Walls for a Year
The vote is what gives the corridor focus its stakes. Guests rank their first-, second- and third-place favorites, and the winners take trophies back to their restaurants. Bill explained the custom at last year's awards:
"We did have people put in ballots, and so we do have to announce winners, and they get to display these beautiful trophies in their restaurant for a year, until we take it back for the next one."
The 2025 results:
- Miley's Cafe
- Tortas de Fuego
- Doc's BBQ, which had opened on October 1, less than three weeks before the event
All three are back in the 2026 lineup. Miley's, last year's winner, is one of the 7000 AZ-179 businesses next to this year's venue. Doc's took third with less than a month of service, a sign that a new kitchen can do well when the vote is a single afternoon of tasting. The 2026 ballot also includes Willy's Empanadas, Dellepiane, Flew the Coop Hot Chicken and Big Park Bakery.
Last year, awards and raffles started at about 2 p.m., and about 80 people were still there when the winners were named. Anyone who wants to hear the results in person should plan to stay through the last hour.
What a Ticket Covers on October 18
The early-bird price of $35 ended September 30. As of today, here is how the afternoon works:
- Admission: $45 in advance through SedonaVillageRotary.org, or $50 at the door if tickets remain.
- Beer and wine: Tastings are included with admission for guests of legal drinking age. The Rotary page asks guests to bring ID. Alcantara Vineyards and Wild Tonic appear on both the Rotary page and the Sedona.biz announcement. The rest of the pouring list differs between those two sources, so check the event page for the final roster.
- Spirits tasting, new this year: Clark's Market is sponsoring single-barrel bourbon, tequila and Scotch samples at two pours for $20, with all proceeds going to the club. The spirits area also has its own $20 raffle for a Buffalo Trace point-of-sale buffalo statue.
- Music: Guitarist Eric Miller plays through the afternoon.
- Where the money goes: Proceeds support Rotary Club of Sedona Village service projects for local youth, veterans and the community, including the Village Rotary Community Garden, along with Rotary humanitarian programs outside the Verde Valley.
The club describes itself as the only service club based in the Village of Oak Creek. The local focus that shows up in the vendor list also shows up in where the proceeds go. Project coordinator Jennifer Bowles said the goal is to "fill The Collective with people ready to enjoy it." Questions go to [email protected].
The Same Stretch of 179 Fills the Weekend After
The Taste falls between two weekends of another free event on the same corridor. The Oak Creek Arts and Craft Show at Sedona Vista Village, 6657 AZ-179, runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on October 9–11 and again October 23–25. The listing mentions art and craft vendors, food booths and live entertainment. The 6657 address sits between Firecreek Coffee at 6586 and The Collective's 7000 block.
The show's calendar continues November 6–8, November 27–29 and December 18–20. That leaves October 18 as the one Sunday this month when Rotary has most of the corridor's kitchens gathered in a single courtyard at The Collective, where three of the 15 vendors already have their address.
Liz Adams follows the Village of Oak Creek at the level of these SR 179 addresses: which kitchens are new, which ones are winning ballots, and how the corridor around The Collective is changing. If you're weighing a home within walking distance of these rooms, or want to know how this stretch of 179 affects a property you already own, Oak Creek Realty is glad to talk it through. Schedule a free consultation.
