Fresh food, fresh air at center of Living Coast fundraiser

The Living Coast Discovery Center will host its 16th annual Farm to Bay fundraiser on Saturday, Aug. 2, from 4 to 7:30 p.m.

The South Bay event features sampling from local food and beverage partners, up-close animal encounters and views of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. All proceeds support coastal wildlife, education and sustainability programs at the nonprofit zoo and aquarium in Chula Vista.

Farm to Bay is the Living Coast’s largest fundraiser of the year. Last year’s event raised more than $128,000 in net proceeds.

“This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and this time, it’s more important than ever,” said executive director Ben Vallejos.

“Support from our local community is what keeps our mission going. With so much happening nationally that is beyond our control, we are incredibly grateful to those who return each year as guests, sponsors and partners to help make this event a success. It truly makes a difference for our staff, programs and wildlife.”

The event is for guests 21 and older and will include live entertainment, auctions and appearances by the center’s animal ambassadors, including an endangered sea turtle, sharks, hawks, eagles and owls.

Sadie Klughers, marketing and communications manager for the Living Coast, said the event offers a wide variety of activities and experiences for attendees.

“We have a whole lot going on, we have our food and wine tasting, which is the main appeal of the event, we have a lot of local vendors, live music, a photo booth,” Klughers said. “It’s going to be a good fun night.”

She emphasized the impact the fundraiser has on the center’s core programs.

“The fundraiser is always really important towards our education programs, our conservation so it’s an event to help us keep going,” she said.

A list of participating food and beverage partners is available at www.thelivingcoast.org/farmtobay. Additional partners continue to be added. Tickets are on sale now.

To meet its environmental goals, the Living Coast works with partners to reduce waste and use earth-friendly materials. Event waste is hand-sorted and composted on-site. In 2024, 95 percent of event waste was recycled or composted and diverted from landfills, exceeding the 90 percent threshold for a Zero-Waste event.

Klughers shared what she hopes guests take away from the experience.

“I hope they learn more about the environment,” she said.