On Wednesday, April 16, the Council will be at Crossroads Coffeehouse in Cross Plains for our first Dining in the Dark event of 2025!
Dining in the Dark is a unique educational experience where participants enjoy their meal while blindfolded. Diners use senses other than sight to enjoy their meal, with each course revealed after the first few bites. The menu incorporates a variety of smells and textures to provide a full sensory experience.
After dinner, Council staff will lead a discussion about the experience and answer questions about cooking and eating with vision loss.
“Dining in the Dark events have introduced hundreds of people to the Council over the years,” says Fund Development Director Lori Werbeckes. “They have various reasons for attending. Some want to try a new experience, some have a friend with vision loss. By the end of the night, the feedback we hear is how much they learned from the after-dinner discussion. Their focus shifted from just eating with a blindfold on to better understanding the challenges people with vision loss face every day, and how simple adaptations and accommodations can create a more inclusive world for all of us.”
While Dining in the Dark is a way for the Council to raise money to support the services we offer, Laurie Seiler says it doesn’t feel like a fundraiser. Laurie attended a Dining in the Dark event at Brix Cider in Mount Horeb in 2023 with her family. She was a bit nervous at first about not being able to see what she was eating, but she says both Council and restaurant staff put her at ease. “It was really an eye-opening experience,” Laurie says. “It’s not something I ever really think about, being able to see my food, because it’s just so automatic. It made me think about my food in ways that never usually even cross my mind. It was a great experience!”
Dining in the Dark is a way for the Council to connect with people who might not be familiar with everything we have to offer. When we have opportunities to meet with people at community gathering places like Crossroads Coffeehouse, we can inform them about the services that are available. It also enables us to teach local businesses how to better serve people who are blind or low vision.
“We are a strong knit community in Cross Plains, and welcome all customers with open arms,” says Abby Kalscheur, Operations Manager at Crossroads Coffeehouse. “The entire staff was eager to learn more about the event and how we could best serve those with vision loss.”
Dining in the Dark at Crossroads Coffeehouse will be catered by Bob’s BBQ Emporium. We currently have two other Dining in the Dark events scheduled for 2025. On Monday, May 19, we will be at Brix Cider in Mount Horeb, and on Tuesday, September 16, we will be at Old Sugar Distillery in Madison for a meal catered by Blue Plate Catering. You can learn more about and make a reservation for any of our Dining in the Dark events at WCBlind.org/Events/Dining-In-The-Dark.
