Save the Date: Youth Villages Soup Sunday is This Weekend

This Sunday, more than 50 restaurants will circle the FedExForum concourse and serve little containers of their signature soups, breads and desserts as part of the annual Youth Villages Soup Sunday.

It takes more than 300 volunteers to pull of the Soup Sunday, which benefits Youth Villages. On average, each participating restaurant will serve 30 gallons of soup to more than 2,500 people during the three hour event.

Here are a few tips for making the most of this year's Soup Sunday:

- After your load up on soup, go outside to the new Food Truck Tent to try samples from Rock'n'Dough Pizza, Yolo, Memphis Munchies and Central Barbecue.

- Purchase tickets to the VIP Souper Party, which is held upstairs in the Forum's swanky Opus lounge. For $75 (or $60 in advance online), you get access to specialty items from some of Memphis' finest restaurants (Andrew Michael, Sweet Grass, Felicia Suzannes, etc.) and adult beverages.

- If you really want to go all out, get the Suites in the Suite ticket. It's $100 per person in advance (or $125 at the door), and it gets you into the regular Soup Sunday festivities, into the Souper Party, and a special cocktail and chocolates tasting.

Phillip Rix (owner of Phillip Ashley chocolates) is bringing samples of his Pritchard's Distillery Collection, a set of pretty hand-painted chocolates made with Tennessee bourbon and rum. Mixologist Michael Hughes (from Joe's Liquor) will serve custom cocktails to complement the chocolates. While you sample, Rix and Hughes will tell you about their crafts and how to pair chocolates with alcohol. If you're interested, go ahead and buy your ticket today ? the tastings are almost sold out.

- Your Soup Sunday ticket also gets you free basketball tickets. At 2 p.m., head into the arena to watch the University of Memphis women's basketabll team put the hurt on the Lady Miners of UTEP.

- Don't limit yourself. When you get into Soup Sunday, you'll be given a fast food-style carboard drink holder to carry your soups. If you're serious, you'll follow the example of one guy at last year's event and bring your own muffin tin.?

- To avoid crazy lines, figure out which way traffic is moving around the building and go the opposite direction. I know that if everybody does this, it won't work, but hey, you can try it.

Go there:

What: Youth Villages Soup Sunday

Where: FedExForum

When: Sunday, Feb. 23, 11 a.m. ? 2 p.m.

How much?: $10 kids, $25 adults for Soup Sunday, $60 (advance) / $75 (door) for the VIP Souper Party and Soup Sunday, and $125 for Sweets in the Suite, the VIP Party and Soup Sunday. Buy tickets online.

For more info: Youth Villages Soup Sunday

Source: http://ilovememphisblog.com/2013/02/save-the-date-youth-villages-soup-sunday-is-this-weekend/

Felix Baumgartner Little Nemo gawker earthquake today earthquake today Romney Bosses Day 2012