With inclement weather on the way, doesn’t a warm bowl of soup sound comforting? How about a nice butternut squash, or tomato bisque, or a simple and hearty chicken noodle? How about all at once?

On March 8 and 9, the River City Food Bank will hold its annual Empty Bowls event, which features signature soups from some of the area’s best restaurants—L Wine Lounge, Scott’s Seafood, Lucca to name a few—served in handmade bowls created by artists and students from around the region. And while the food and the artistic creations are lovely, the real aim of Empty Bowls is to help raise funds for those in need. With unemployment on the rise, food banks like River City have seen record numbers of requests for their services.

So if you can spare some time on Monday night or Tuesday afternoon, come down to Empty Bowls for some soup that not only warms the tummy, but the heart as well.

Empty Bowls for the River City Food Bank
Monday, March 8 at 5:30 p.m.; Tuesday, March 9 at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Masonic Temple, 1123 J St., Sacramento
Tix: $50 for March 8, $25 for March 9