HATTIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI: The 16th Annual Purple Parrot Wine Festival benefitting Extra Table is set for April 3rd at the Purple Parrot Restaurant in Hattiesburg.

The Purple Parrot Wine Festival celebrates worldwide premier wines and local hors d’oeuvres rich in Mississippi culture. Proceeds from the Festival benefit Extra Table, the nonprofit launched by well-known restaurateur Robert St. John, in 2009, making a difference in the lives of Mississippians by fundraising in order to stock food pantries and soup kitchens across the state with wholesome nutritious food.

“The variety and rarity of the wines offered at the Purple Parrot Wine Festival make it unlike any other tasting event in the Pine Belt,” said Purple Parrot General Manager Jarred Patterson. “Vintners travel from as far as Australia, Spain, and Germany to bring their wines to the Hub City for just one night. Attendees also get the unique experience of face-to-face time to meet the winemakers and vineyard owners. This festival is for wine lovers, wine novices and anyone in between. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Extra Table again this year.”

All of the proceeds from the April 3rd event will benefit Extra Table. Funds raised will ensure the mission of getting new, healthy meals to the 679,000 hungry Mississippians. Statistics show that everyday more than 200,000 Mississippi Children leave school knowing they will have nothing else to eat until they arrive again the next morning AND the situation for senior citizens in Mississippi is even worse – 56 percent of our neighbors 65 and older are food insecure. The idea of such hunger right here in our home state of Mississippi seems unreal, but for ONE FIFTH of all Mississippi families, it’s a stark, devastating reality. Lack of proper nutrition wreaks long-term health impacts on our youth, destroys the quality of life for our seniors and cripples the economic growth of our state by undermining educational opportunities and burdening public assistance programs.

“We look forward to this event every year. Not only do we have the chance to work with outstanding community partners, donors and sponsors, but we also have a chance to share the mission of Extra Table and why it’s the corner stone of ending hunger in our state,” said Executive Director Martha Allen.

The Purple Parrot Wine Festival is a fundraiser specifically benefitting The Extra Table Foundation, a support organization that enlists businesses and individuals from across the state to cover the administrative costs of office expenses and staff. Extra Table is a single person operation run on a shoestring budget, so needs aren’t enormous, but the services provided are critically important to fighting hunger in Mississippi.

Tickets for the 16th Annual Purple Parrot Wine Festival benefitting Extra Table are on sale now for $100 per person or $150 for early entry VIP. Tickets can be purchased at www.extratable.org or https://tinyurl.com/extratablewinefestival.

Wine Festival Tickets