Kate Jeffe could not help but be overjoyed at the sights and sounds of hundreds of folks sharing conversation and delectable dishes.

It was just what she and other members of the Friends of the Sewickley Public Library were hoping for with the sold-out 24th annual Savoring Sewickley fundraiser.

“It is a joint effort,” the event co-organizer said on Nov. 2. “We all have a part in it — every single member of the board. If we didn’t have that, it would never happen. My co-chair Jamie (Hamilton), she’s the brains. I take orders and everyone pitches in. It’s truly amazing. What’s even more amazing is when you get to the event.”

Those who got to the event at the library were greeted by Friends president Nicole Ravas and other volunteers and given a map identifying the 18 different businesses providing food and drink.

The Ultimate Pastry Shop, one of the event’s original vendors, had multicolored sweets neatly arranged on its table next to the main circulation desk.

The Reference Department, normally an area for folks to quietly read or search for things on computers, looked more like a bustling food court at dinner rush.

Vendors in that area included Caliente Pizza and Draft House with select beers and specialty white pizza, and Sweetwater Center for the Arts and its Middle Eastern lentil balls with lemon pesto and yahini sauce, and tabouli salad cups.

Newcomers Tu y Yo Cafe and its mini empanadas and mini cheese sticks and Intuitive Chef had its zuppo toscano, chicken salad and roasted vegetable wraps.

“We are very aware of how much we’re asking of our restaurants,” Jeffe said. “We really appreciate that they do come year after year. Every year we get to this point, and it’s a big sigh of relief when it (goes) so well.”

Officials from Giant Eagle Pharmacy, which is taking over the Rite Aid along Beaver Street in Sewickley, offered desserts.

Sharpsburg-based catering company Wild Onyinz was one of the new vendors. It offered pork tie-dye sliders — pieces of pineapple crushed into pork, sweet Thai chili sauce and coleslaw on brioche buns. Owner Justin Lee said he was excited about the opportunity when asked to join.

“We do mainly Downtown offices, but we’re trying to expand into more private things,” Lee said. “More weddings, more holiday parties or private gatherings.

“The way we advertise is we send lunch to people. I guess someone related to the library had our lunches Downtown and said, ‘Get those guys out here.’ ”

He also cited his sister-in-law, Taylor Lee, who works for the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, as a reason for helping.

“I thought it was a good cause,” Justin Lee said. “I’m all about making libraries super nice and accessible to people.”

Amy Tolfa, event coordinator of Ambridge-based Altered Genius, was stationed next to Lee.

Tolfa served beer samples and Korean BBQ chicken kabobs, which were very popular and gone within the first hour of the three-hour fundraiser.

About 400 people attended, including 350 who bought tickets at $100 a piece. Proceeds go toward library programs, materials and projects like the renovated Storytime Room.

Sewickley couple Devin and Seth Rankin were among the taste testers.

“It’s a lovely event to help raise money for the library and all their programming, which I love, and to try all the local restaurants that we haven’t been able to get to yet,” said Devin Rankin.

The pair have been in the borough for about a decade and enjoyed the Intuitive Chef offerings as well as meatballs from Cafe Notte and crab cakes from Allegheny Country Club.

“If we don’t do the fundraising now, we’re not going to have this for future generations,” Seth Rankin said. “I’m all for whatever we can do to raise more money for the programs that we have out there. All the children’s events, all the different things that we have out there are fantastic.”

Mayor George Shannon and borough councilman Todd Hamer were among the guest bartenders. Former library board member Joel Swanson and former Friends board member Maria Swanson donated wine.

Other event activities included basket raffles and an auction for 100-year-old Spanish roof tiles that were removed from the library as part of a major renovation project in 2023.

Sewickley resident Jane Eickhoff said she was very impressed with the fundraiser and venue.

Eickhoff has more than 30 years of public library service in Maryland, having worked for the Anne Arundel County and Baltimore County public libraries and was the associate director for the Harford County Public Library.

“I’m finding that Sewickley does a great job,” she said. “I’m comparing it to a very high-end public library system that offers a wide variety of services, and it’s a well-funded library. … We had a gala every year (at Harford) that was similar to this. What that shows is community support. Residents are all paying taxes, which makes public libraries work. People want to go the extra mile and contribute because they know the extra things that events like this can provide. It’s marvelous.”

The library is still going through a repair project caused by a heating and air conditioning system malfunction and a flooding incident in September.

The community room, non-fiction area and about 80 items in the non-fiction print and audio collections were damaged.

Most of the flooding affected the ceilings, drywall, shelving and flooring.

Library executive director Ruth Neely said the impacted areas did not impede the fundraiser and thanked the Friends for a successful evening.

Repairs are being covered by insurance and will not have to draw from money raised at the event.

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