I usually don't go off on things like this, but I just couldn't resist with this one - The Harvest on the Harbor.
My biggest complaint with this bunch of bullshit is that it's for profit. The Portland Convention and Visitors Bureau makes money yet they go out of their way trying to get people to donate products and services. They make it seem like you're really making a difference if you volunteer, like they really need you. Fuck them.
Donations and Volunteering are fine if it's for a CHARITY event. They try to convince people that "It's really great exposure that your business will greatly benefit from." This is completely untrue, and the kinds of people that you actually DO get are just plain awful.
This "Taste of Maine" is sponsored by Hannaford Supermarkets, Samuel Adams, and Constellation Brands (peddlers of some of the most soulless garbage wine out there, such as Blackstone, Ravenswood, and Clos du Bois), among others..
Apparently such prestigious food publications as People Magazine have called HOTH "One of the best ideas for a fair this fall."
All they want to do is book Hotel Rooms.....
Save your money. Go out to restaurants and give it directly to the business owners, so you can make sure it reaches the people who deserve it.
----------long pause with lots of deep breaths-------------------------
Sorry to any of my friends who are involved, this is just how I feel. I'm also irritated that I have to carry a bunch of these crap wines at the store because supposedly people will be "just dying to get their hands on them after they taste them at the event." I sense a special Harvest on the Harbor SALE BIN in my future...
