File Photo by PHILIP B. POSTON/Sentinel Colorado
AURORA | Aurora Public Schools is giving students and families a seat at the table to choose a school menu item on Wednesday during its “Meet & Eat” Food Show.
The fifth annual free event will be at the APS Professional Learning and Conference Center, where dozens of vendors from across the country will serve up samples of new and familiar food items for families to try and approve before the school year begins.
“I really believe this is the students’ restaurant,” Shannon Solomon said. “For us to meet our customers’ needs, we’ve got to constantly get feedback from them so we can improve, get better, and serve them the quality meals they deserve.”
The event will allow students and families to taste, vote and influence which dishes will appear on school breakfast and lunch menus later this year. They will also have the opportunity to meet a surprise guest, Miles, the Denver Broncos’ mascot.
This year’s event will feature nearly 50 vendors offering a variety of options from pepperoni pizza croissants and totchos (nachos made with tater tots) to vegetarian samosas, according to a statement from APS. For dessert, students will get to sample mantecada muffins and K-pop peach crunch parfaits.
“The top vote-getters will appear on APS school lunch menus later this school year,” the statement said.
Solomon said in a video from last year that while menus are already set through December, changes based on community feedback could appear as soon as January.
Last year, as families filed into the event to judge their favorite foods, one young boy told Solomon he especially loved the guacamole cups, while others raved about empanadas and new breakfast offerings.
“I got a little emotional,” Solomon said. “We had a ton of community members. It was awesome. It just keeps getting bigger and better.”
Miles will be at the event from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., most likely dancing, posing for photos and reminding students that nutrition is part of both physical and mental health.
“Miles is the presentation of physical and mental nutrition and how he works out,” Solomon said. “He shows kids that you need fuel to be the best version of yourself.”
“This just keeps getting better every year,” Solomon said.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: APS Meet & Eat Food Show
WHEN: 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday Aug. 27
WHERE: APS Professional Learning & Conference Center, 15771 E. First Ave., Aurora
HOW MUCH: Free