Victoria “Tori” Krupa graduated from Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama, in 2017, majoring in business administration. After graduating, she lived and worked in Montgomery for five years before getting married and moving to Birmingham in 2022. In April 2023, she joined the team at Crawford Square Real Estate Advisors “CSREA” as a marketing associate and oversaw the 2023 Tapas and Taps event, which was held in Lane Parke. Tapas and Taps featured more than 10 different food and beverage vendors, live music and a silent auction benefiting Smile-A-Mile. Here, Tori provides insight on just how impactful this “foodie” event was to the local community.
Tell our readers about the founding of Tapas and Taps.
Tapas and Taps was founded in 2021 as a way to incorporate local restaurants and businesses into a community-wide event for patrons to experience some of the best food and beverages of Mountain Brook and beyond. Originally, Tapas and Taps was started as an effort to get CSREA involved in the Mountain Brook community. What better way than to partner with incredible organizations on one of the properties we manage? Every year, Tapas and Taps fundraises for a local nonprofit, and last year’s charity partnership was with Smile-A-Mile. We used this event as both a way to foster fellowship between local eateries and to give back to those in need, too.
What have patrons enjoyed most about Tapas and Taps in recent years?
The event has grown so much over the last two years, especially due to the major growth we have seen at Lane Parke. Event attendees have the opportunity each year to taste all that Lane Parke has to offer, while giving back to our charity partnership, too. We always have such a great selection of Birmingham breweries and the best live music as well. It’s one of our favorite events at Lane Parke.
What were some of the event’s attendees’ favorite aspects of Tapas and Taps this year?
The plethora of food and beverage vendors were a crowd favorite, but lots of attendees also enjoyed the silent auction and live music, too. The auction’s proceeds benefited Smile-A-Mile.
Tell our readers about Tapas and Taps’ charity partnership, Smile-A-Mile.
Tapas and Taps fundraised for Smile-A-Mile, which is a Birmingham-based nonprofit that provides hope and funding for children with cancer and their families. According to smileamile.com, “Smile-A-Mile’s mission is to provide hope, healing of the spirit and love for the whole family during the childhood cancer journey.” They provide year-round programming to children and families through their Hospital Outreach Program at Children’s of Alabama, summer camp sessions, family retreats, events, regional programs and so much more. The work they do is so important to the community, and we’re so happy that our event benefitted them this year.
How is Tapas and Taps so important in fostering fellowship?
Tapas and Taps creates an inviting and communal atmosphere where the Birmingham community can connect over a shared appreciation for culinary experiences and local crafted brews, all while supporting a wonderful cause.
