A beloved annual culinary festival is back in Palm Beach County, bringing food lovers together to support people recovering from addiction.
Some of the county's top chefs and just under a dozen restaurants are participating in the seventh annual Taste of Recovery festival in Delray Beach.
Restaurants like Elizabetta’s, City Oyster, Louie Bossi will compete for the “Best Bite” award, given by prominent local food writers.
The festival benefits the Crossroads Club , a non-profit organization in Delray Beach that helps people recover from substance abuse, with proceeds benefiting those on the road to recovery.
READ MORE: Florida drug deaths plummet, says new FDLE report. Fentanyl fatalities down 35%
Most of the overdose deaths in Palm Beach County are attributed to fentanyl-laced drugs — synthetic opioids that are up to 50 times more potent than heroin.
This year's event comes at a time when the county is experiencing a major turnaround. The Medical Examiner’s Office reported total drug overdose deaths dropped from 554 in 2022 to 259 in 2025 — a 53% decrease. And the county recorded 151 opioid-related deaths, down 64%.
It’s a huge departure for an area once considered a hotspot of the opioid crisis, with overdose deaths peaking at over 600 deaths in 2017.
A similar trend is happening statewide. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement last month reported total drug-related deaths decreased by 14% statewide in 2024, with opioid-caused deaths dropping 32% and fentanyl-caused deaths decreasing by 35%.
Officials say the change is thanks to more public safety measures, such as education, expanded access to life-saving naloxone (Narcan), and intensified police crackdown on illegal drug activity.
IF YOU GO
What: Taste of Recovery” Culinary Festival,
When: Saturday, November 8, from 4 to 7 p.m
Where: American German Club: 5111 Lantana Road, Lake Worth Beach
Learn more details here
