Empty Bowl Returns March 20-29, 2026
An Event That Makes a Difference
Tickets are on sale now. To purchase tickets, click HERE.
Local artists and restaurants have come together to offer the 19th annual Empty Bowl fundraiser for Hospitality House, March 20-29, 2026. The event’s primary objective is to raise awareness and support for individuals and families struggling with homelessness. Every dollar received from Empty Bowl is a donation toward Hospitality House’s emergency operations, and every dollar makes a difference in someone’s life.
Ticketholders can dine at one or more featured restaurants between March 20 and 29, 2026, and receive a delicious meal, specially selected and donated by each restaurant. Participants also receive a beautiful, handcrafted artisan bowl to take home as a reminder of the difference you make in people’s lives.
The following restaurants stepped forward to host Empty Bowl this year.
Featured Restaurants
Golden Gate Saloon @ The Holbrooke Hotel
Sopa Thai Cuisine
Heartwood Eatery
Lola @ The National Exchange Hotel
Three Forks Bakery and Brewing Co.
The Bicycle Thief
Featured Food
- Golden Gate Saloon @ The Holbrooke Hotel: Super Greens Salad – baby kale, spinach, quinoa, apples, pickled onion, avocado, mandarins, pomegranate, green goddess dressing.
- Sopa Thai: Tom Kah Soup – lemon grass and coconut milk with broccoli, snow peas, cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, and tomatoes.
- Heartwood Eatery: Heartwood Bowl with organic brown rice, avocado, soft-cooked eggs, salad greens, and vegetables with house dressing and furikake.
- Lola @ The National Exchange Hotel: French Onion Soup made with caramelized onions, beef broth, sourdough crouton, and gruyere cheese.
- Three Forks Bakery & Brewing Co: Surprise dish! The menu varies each week based on seasonal vegetable availability.
- The Bicycle Thief: Harissa-Roasted Cauliflower – herb whipped feta, breadcrumbs, and herbs.
All restaurants are hosting Empty Bowl from Friday, March 20, through Sunday, March 29, with varying hours and days of operation. Each restaurant is generously donating its venue, service, and food, so 100% of the proceeds from ticket sales and additional donations go directly to the emergency shelter.
“Empty Bowl is an event that is near and dear to my heart. It is an event that symbolizes the importance of a single bowl of soup to someone living on the streets, cold, hungry, and alone. At Hospitality House, our collective goal is to ensure that all program participants receive the vital sustenance and support they need to move forward to regain their independence,” said Nancy Baglietto, executive director of Hospitality House. “One simple bowl of food can give someone the necessary energy and fuel to reach out for help in the hope of attaining a better tomorrow.”
In their last fiscal year, Hospitality House served 824 unique locals and provided 80,970 meals. Empty Bowl is a way to further Hospitality House’s efforts in 2025-26. Additional donations are always welcome.
Get Tickets to Empty Bowl 2026
Tickets go on sale Feb. 5 at 2 p.m. and are $40 each. You can purchase tickets by visiting our ticket page here: https://emptybowl2026.rsvpify.com. Tickets will be available online at hhshelter.org once they go on sale. A limited number of tickets is available for each participating restaurant. Tickets must be purchased in advance and redeemed at participating restaurants. There will NOT be tickets available at the event, so please purchase yours early. Each restaurant has restrictions on when tickets can be used. Each ticket includes one artisan bowl and one delicious meal. Tickets are being sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Days/times/locations vary by each participating restaurant. Exclusions apply. For assistance or questions about tickets, please call (530) 615-0852.
Many artists come together to make this event happen, including: Chic Lotz, Yvone Doctor, Alex Farmer, Rene Sprattling, and Carl Van Son. The Girls Night Out Clay Club made bowls in honor of Dick Hotchkiss, a longtime bowl maker for Empty Bowl. The Gold Country Woodturners and The Curious Forge also host groups of artists coming together to make bowls for the event. Hospitality House is so thankful for all the time and energy that goes into the hundreds of handcrafted ceramic and wooden bowls. The event would not be possible without these generous individuals.
A sincere thank you to this year’s sponsors: Pawnie’s Home Care, Chapa-De Indian Health, Datacate, River Valley Community Bank, County of Nevada, The Union, KVMR, Whitewater Naturopathic Medicine, Interwest Insurance, and Lake Wildwood Self Storage
Hospitality House also sincerely thanks everyone who purchases tickets and participates in this year’s Empty Bowl event. Your participation goes a long way in helping Hospitality House feed and secure housing for those in need in Nevada County. As Helen Keller eloquently said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
For answers to some most commonly asked questions about Empty Bowl, visit: FAQ
About Hospitality House
The mission of Hospitality House is to bring people experiencing homelessness in Nevada County into a circle of community care that offers shelter, sustenance, advocacy, opportunity, dignity, and hope as they transition from homelessness to housing. For more information about Hospitality House, visit hhshelter.org.