Downtown Santa Fe (photo by Jack Parsons)

Chef’s from Santa Fe’s leading restaurants and other food-related ventures will demonstrate their taste for history when they bring their best appetizers, entrées and desserts to the New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors 24th Annual Taste of Santa Fe on Sunday, June 3rd.

Held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Lumpkins Ballroom at La Fonda Hotel in downtown Santa Fe, the popular museum benefit is a mostly volunteer project of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation. It is the largest annual fund-raiser for the historic Palace of the Governors, raising more than $200,000 for the Palace in the past seven years. As construction of the New Mexico History Museum gets under way, event proceeds for family education programs in New Mexico history and culture become even more valuable. The new museum is expected to open in 2009.

“The Taste of Santa Fe provides crucial funding to support exhibitions and educational collaboration between the Palace and the public schools,” says Palace of the Governors Director Fran Levine Levine. She went on to say, “The event also is a venerable Santa Fe tradition and a much-anticipated opportunity to gather with friends, family and visitors to sample the creations of our town's celebrated chefs."

While making the rounds of chef’s food stations, hungry history museum buffs will have the opportunity to vote for Best Appetizer, Best Entrée and Best Dessert, as well as the Best of the Taste of Santa Fe. Among the restaurants scheduled to participate this year are The Blue Heron, Ecco, Jinja, San Francisco Street Bar and Grill and La Boca.

In addition to the fine foods and cash bar, the Taste will feature the fun “Essential Non-Essential Live and Silent Auction,” offering a variety of unique and enticing items and experiences.

Tickets are limited and can be purchased in advance for $30 each from the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, 116 Lincoln Avenue, and at the locations listed below. Tickets will be $35 at the door.

• Museum of New Mexico Foundation, 116 Lincoln Ave., (505) 982-6366. ext. 112
• Palace of the Governors Shop, 105 W. Palace Ave., (505) 988-3454
• Museum of Fine Arts Shop, 107 W. Palace Ave., (505) 982-1131
• Colleen Cloney Duncan Museum Shop, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Museum Hill, (505) 982-5057
• Museum of International Folk Art Shop, Museum Hill, (505) 982-5186
• Lensic Performing Arts Center, 225 West San Francisco St., (505) 988-1234 or www.lensic.org

To get info on accomodations & a visitor's guide go to: Sante Fe Visitors Bureau