Taste of Little Rock, presented by Regions Bank and Pepsi, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 highly anticipated culinary and social event raises funds for the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Alumni Scholarship Fund, providing thousands of scholarship dollars every year to deserving 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students. The April 2 event was attended by more than 1,000 people.

鈥淭he Taste of Little Rock is an experience like no other,鈥� said Rhonda Aaron, president of the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Alumni Board of Directors. 鈥淚t is an amazing opportunity to not only enjoy the city鈥檚 best restaurants but network and celebrate those that contribute to the future of the university. This year鈥檚 event was absolutely phenomenal. I鈥檓 privileged to work with such a dedicated team!鈥�

Taste of Little Rock celebrated , a well-known Arkansas radio personality who is lauded for his good works towards his alma mater, as this year鈥檚 honoree. Rowan serves as the assistant program director of Power 92 鈥� Little Rock, the host of the No. 1 rated afternoon drive show in Arkansas, 鈥淭ake it to the House,鈥� and the creator and host of the podcast, 鈥淭hrough My Two Blue.鈥�

鈥淭his was the biggest and best Taste of Little Rock yet!鈥� Rowan said. 鈥淓veryone I shook hands with and spoke with at Taste of Little Rock seemed to be having a great time with amazing food and fantastic fellowships. It truly was a great honor. I always love giving back to my alma mater and being this year’s honoree allowed me to do it in different ways, which was also extremely exciting for me. Taste of Little Rock 2024 was a big hit!鈥�

The enchanted evening featured fabulous food and refreshments from nearly 40 amazing local restaurants, including Afrobites, Andy鈥檚, Baldwin鈥檚 BBQ, Bawarchi Indian Cuisine, Big Bad Breakfast, Cantina Laredo, CBRz Catering, Ceci鈥檚 Chicken & Waffles on Wheels, Certified Pies, Chicken Salad Chick, Chisley鈥檚 Unique Seasoning,  Community Bakery, Count Porkula, Delicious Temptations, Doe鈥檚 Eat Place, Doubletree by Hilton, Eat My Catfish, The Grind Coffee Bistro, Faded Rose, Fazoli鈥檚, LePops, Loblolly, Newk鈥檚 Eatery, SAPS Creole Cuisine, Sarge鈥檚 Famous Pickles, Smackey鈥檚, Sullivan鈥檚 Steakhouse, Tacos Godoy, Tacos 4 Life, Taste of Goodlyfe, Tea Anytime, Terri Lynn鈥檚 BBQ, Trio鈥檚, UnWine Pastries, Whole Hog Caf茅, Wright鈥檚 BBQ, and The XPerience Kitchen + Lounge.

Pam Ball, a 1976 graduate of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, and her friend Jane Kaufman, a 1987 graduate of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, are hardcore Taste of Little Rock fans who have attended the event every year.

鈥淚鈥檝e been to every Taste of Little Rock so far, and I love it! I get to meet new people and talk to people I hardly get to see,鈥� Ball said. 鈥淚 love to try new food. I like to come here because there are so many restaurants to try without driving all over town. I look forward to it every year!鈥�

Dustin and Christina Utley, owners of Fazoli鈥檚, were excited to be showcasing their food at Taste of Little Rock for the second time since they took over the restaurant in 2022.

鈥淚t鈥檚 great for us to get out and mingle, meet new people, and for people to see what we have to offer,鈥� Dustin Utley said. 鈥淭he community has given us a lot, and we want to give back. We also love supporting college scholarships.鈥�

糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock is also thankful to all the amazing sponsors who are helping to support 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and its students! The 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Alumni Board of Directors are serving as a gold sponsor, while the silver sponsors include Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Entergy, Stephanie and Brooks Caruthers, Klassik Entertainment, Loris and Jay Fullerton, Lost Forty, Mays, Byrd & O鈥橤uinn, PLLC, Natural State Private Wealth Management, TMB Capital Partners, Simmons Bank, Songbyrd Development Enterprises, LLC, Southern Glazer鈥檚, and USAble Life.

Gerald and Veronica Gregory, owners of Songbyrd Development Enterprises, one of the night鈥檚 silver sponsors, were there to support 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, local businesses, and student scholarships.

鈥淭his staple event is one of the main reasons I鈥檝e gotten involved with the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Alumni Board of Directors. This event gives back to students through scholarships. Being a graduate of the university, I want to do everything I can to support students and local businesses,鈥� said Gerald Gregory, adding that their favorite restaurants of the night were Wright鈥檚 BBQ and AfroBites.

Despite the amazing assortment of food selections, Dr. Michael Moore, director of undergraduate research at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, said the fellowship and chance to catch up was his favorite part of the evening.

鈥淥ne of the greatest things about 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock is the people, and we love the chance to get together to see all these wonderful people,鈥� Moore said. 鈥淲e have the most amazing students in the world, and this is a great way to support our students. It鈥檚 the best of both worlds.鈥�

Stephanie Caruthers, a partner at Trio鈥檚 and a long-time member of the Taste of Little Rock Committee, described the event as phenomenal.

鈥淭he most exciting time of the evening is when people are waiting to come in the door and the restaurants are making last-minute preparations,鈥� Caruthers said. 鈥淵ou can feel the energy in the room as it fills up with excited people. Taste of Little Rock supports a great cause, and that is what makes it so great to be a part of as a committee member and restaurant owner.鈥�

Every gift made to the university through December 2026 will be a part of the Centennial Campaign, the university鈥檚 largest fundraising campaign in history. To learn more or to give, visit .

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糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock is in the middle of its Centennial Campaign, the university鈥檚 largest fundraising effort to raise $250 million by the university鈥檚 centennial anniversary in 2027. The Alumni Association is working to elevate the impact of the Centennial Campaign by setting a campaign goal to raise their membership by 20 percent. They would like to celebrate the start of the second century of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock by increasing the association鈥檚 2,400 members to more than 2,900 by 2027.

鈥淢ost importantly, we want to hear from alumni on how they want to get involved and reconnect,鈥� 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Alumni Association President Heide Harrell said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 time for us to meet, celebrate the many successes of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, and rally together to support the best university in Arkansas.鈥�

糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Alumni Association Membership Chair Rhonda Aaron has challenged the alumni community to increase membership by at least three percent during the 2023-24 academic year.

鈥淛oining the Alumni Association is important to not only stay connected with our alma mater but an opportunity to expand your network and get involved,鈥� Aaron said. 鈥淣ow is the perfect time to join the association and be a part of the Centennial Campaign. Our collective efforts can strengthen our community by empowering our students and building quality programs. Your time and donations are important. If we all get involved in some small way, we can make a big impact for tomorrow’s leaders.鈥�

Alumni Association members have the satisfaction of knowing that they are helping support 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students have a successful college education. A portion of all membership dues goes toward the Annual Fund, which provides dozens of annual scholarships for 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students.

鈥淏eing involved in the association for the past three years has given me the opportunity to see firsthand through the scholarship interviews just how important it is to give back my time and know that I am making a difference for our students,鈥� Aaron said. 鈥淎s an alumnus, I’m able to connect and encourage students on their education journey.鈥�

Members of the Alumni Association make connections with thousands of fellow alumni who can help advance their careers. Many alumni serve as mentors who help fellow members with their career path.

鈥淏eing a part of the Alumni Association has allowed me the opportunity not only to meet new, lifelong friends but also to give back to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock,鈥� Harrell said. 鈥淥btaining my master鈥檚 degree was just the beginning of my journey here at the university, and I鈥檓 proud to offer my time and talents to ensure 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock celebrates its bicentennial year. You have a chance to connect with alumni who are leaders within their respective fields as well as become brand ambassadors to remind your fellow community members of the value of a 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock degree.鈥�

Alumni Association members receive exclusive invitations to receptions, athletics, and special events. Members also receive discounts on hotels, car rentals, clothing, tickets, and gym memberships.

New members can join the Alumni Association through an annual, three-year, or lifetime membership. Alumni who have graduated in the past three years can join for just $20 annually. If you would like to join the Alumni Association, visit or contact alumni@ualr.edu.

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