Football and wings. Baseball and hotdogs. Golf and… tacos? Indeed, because it is time for the Tournament of Fools 3rd Annual Cinco de Mayo Industry Golf Outing.
The day of fun in the sun curated by The Brooklyn Star brings together folks who work in the food and beverage industry for some friendly competition on the Minisceongo Golf Club course in Pomona, NY. It’s time to break out the sombreros and the piñatas, because the event coincides with Cinco de Mayo (as if anyone ever needed an excuse to eat tacos). For those who would appreciate the opportunity for a day to trade in the bar stick for a golf club, this is the event for you.
The idea for Tournament of Fools came in 2013 from Bill Reed, a partner at The Brooklyn Star restaurant and Humboldt & Jackson, both in Williamsburg. Frustrated by the difficulty of making social plans with his friends who also worked in the restaurant industry, Reed was inspired to create a dedicated day for industry workers to come together on the golf course for great food and drinks. To make the event that much more meaningful, Reed donates 100 percent of the proceeds to a charitable organization. Now that Tournament of Fools is biannual, the fall event donates to hunger relief organization St. John’s Bread and Life, and in the spring, the event benefits the non-profit food radio station, Heritage Radio Network.
This spring, like last, the day will commence at Brooklyn Star for breakfast burritos and tacos before a bus comes to shuttle everyone to the course in Pomona, NY. Throughout the day, Oaxaca Taqueria will be cooking up more tacos and Mexican treats. Hot Dogs from Brooklyn Hot Dog Company and sausages from Brooklyn Cured will also be there to ensure no one goes hungry. To quench your thirst, Founders Brewing Company from Michigan and Single Cut Beersmiths from Queens, are providing plenty of brews .
There will be a dunk tank for those looking to cool off, and while Reed cannot confirm the details of a major surprise, sources tell us it will involve a helicopter.
Reed is excited that Tournament of Fools is now in its third season. “It went from a one-time thing to a semi-annual event,” he says. “It’s grown a lot as far as new sponsors for food and drinks and that’s because they hear about us through the industry grapevine and they want to get involved.”
The day will conclude with an after party at Humboldt & Jackson, the American wine bar and tasting room that Reed co-owns with his wife Pamela Reed, and sommelier Sam Nahid.
Executive director of Heritage Radio Network, Erin Fairbanks, appreciates that the event brings together people within the industry for a great cause. She says, “They could have just golfed around but they decided to make it a community thing. That’s the best part of working within the service industry — It’s those moments of community where everybody knows your name. It’s all about good vibes.”
Tickets and more information about the Third Annual 3nd Annual Cinco de Mayo Industry Golf Outing are here.
