It’s one of the most popular events at the Penticton Art Gallery, and even though it’s now in its 13th year, curator Paul Crawford said there’s no end in sight for the annual Soup Bowls project fundraiser.

“Year after year, it seems to be one of those perennial fall events,” Crawford said. “It’s one of the harbingers of fall.”

“It would be really hard to give it up. It’s just a really nice community project,” Crawford said, explaining how it incorporates many parts of the community, with potters, restaurants, musicians and the public all coming together for the annual art gallery fundraiser.

“It’s just such a fun event for so many people. I would hate to change it and hate to tamper with it,” he said. “Every year seems to sell out and in that regard, you don’t want to mess with a good thing.”

A range of Penticton restaurants will be bringing their soups to the evening, including Theo’s, Navartan, the Wheatgrass Café, Sage and Vine Bistro and many others. Breads will be supplied by Walla Artisan Foods and Just Pies.

“It’s an easy fundraiser to put on, because all you have to do is contact the restaurants and they’re happy to get involved,” said organizer Glenn Clark. “The potters are happy to supply us with soup bowls, and the public is more than happy to come down and take in the event.”

Crawford credits sponsors like Money Concepts, who have supported the event for all 13 years, as part of making the event so successful. Another sponsor, Jane Doe Creative, is participating for the second year by putting together a booklet of recipes, which will be a souvenir that people can take away with them,

Of course, the biggest keepsake that people get to take away with them is the soup bowl. Twenty potters from the Penticton Potters Guild have worked most of the year preparing the 190 custom bowls, some thrown on the wheel, some hand-built.

“There are some really amazing ones. It’s interesting to see people choose,” said Crawford. “Some people will just go in and take the first bowl, others walk up and down the table and contemplate … hold them in their hands and really try and connect with the bowls they want.”

One of the most contentious parts of the evening, Clark said, is the favourite soup award, voted on by the patrons. It’s all for fun, but Clark said the chefs still take it seriously.

“It’s full on, they want to win,” said Clark. “They’re not bringing some casual quick soup, they’re out to win the award. That’s part of the fun too.”

The Soup Bowls Project is always an important fundraiser, said Crawford, but this year, it’s taken on even more importance.

“We are still very much grant dependent. And this year, with the cuts to the provincial funding and the gaming revenue, we are in a rather precarious situation,” he said.