Dinner in the Dark 2026: A Culinary Journey Through Awareness, and Connection
Before anything else, we’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the businesses and organizations helping make this year’s Dinner in the Dark possible. Events like this don’t happen without community support, and we’re grateful to our sponsors for helping us create meaningful experiences that bring people together through food, music, education, and awareness.
From longtime local businesses to regional partners, your support allows us to continue creating unique programs that inspire connection and conversation. Thank you for believing in what we do.
What Happens When You Take Sight Out of the Equation?
On June 24, Five Points Music Sanctuary invites you to experience one of our most memorable and thought-provoking evenings of the year: Dinner in the Dark 2026.
This year’s theme, “A Culinary Journey Through Melting Pot & Indigenous Traditions,” explores the stories, cultures, and communities that have shaped America through the universal language of food. For one evening, guests are invited to dine while blindfolded, encouraging them to slow down, engage their senses differently, and experience food in a completely new way! It’s an experience that often leaves guests surprised, challenged, and deeply connected.
Honoring DeafBlind Awareness Week
The event takes place during DeafBlind Awareness Week, making it an opportunity to reflect on accessibility, inclusion, and the many ways people experience the world.
It’s important to note that Dinner in the Dark is not intended to simulate or recreate the experience of living as a blind or DeafBlind person. Rather, it serves as an invitation to consider how differently we engage with the world when one sense is removed and to build awareness around the importance of communication, accessibility, and inclusion.
Throughout history, individuals like Helen Keller, Louis Braille, Stevie Wonder, and Doc Watson have challenged assumptions about disability and expanded our understanding of what’s possible when barriers are removed and every person is valued.
As a community arts venue, Five Points believes cultural experiences can be powerful tools for education and empathy. Dinner in the Dark reflects that mission by creating space for both enjoyment and reflection.
Celebrating Indigenous Heritage Through Food
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, this year’s menu also honors Indigenous cultures whose stories and traditions stretch back thousands of years before the founding of the United States.
Working alongside the talented team at Pumpernickel Pickle Catering Co., they’ve created a menu inspired by Indigenous ingredients, Appalachian traditions, and the diverse culinary influences that continue to shape our region. Guests will enjoy four thoughtfully crafted courses, each paired with stories rooted in history and place.
First Course: Roasted Sunchokes
The evening begins with roasted sunchokes accompanied by foraged chimichurri, pawcohiccora (a traditional hickory nut sauce), and crispy sunchoke chips. Sunchokes, also known as Jerusalem artichokes, are native Appalachian tubers that were valued by Indigenous communities throughout the region for their versatility and nutrition.
Second Course: Three Sisters Salad & Smoked Brook Trout
Featuring yellow squash, charred corn, cranberry beans, heirloom tomatoes, apple vinaigrette, wild rice, and smoked brook trout. The “Three Sisters”—corn, beans, and squash—represent one of the most important agricultural traditions in Indigenous North America. Grown together, these crops supported communities for generations while symbolizing cooperation, sustainability, and balance.
Third Course: Wild Turkey & Venison Hominy Pot
A hearty dish inspired by communal Indigenous cooking traditions, featuring Virginia wild game, Swiss chard, mushrooms, corn noodles, waterfowl eggs, and wild blueberry chili crisp. Historically, hominy pots remained simmering throughout the day, with family members contributing ingredients as they became available. It’s a beautiful reminder that meals have always been about community as much as nourishment.
Fourth Course: Pawpaw Crème Brûlée
The evening concludes with a dessert highlighting one of North America’s most fascinating native fruits. Pawpaw has been cultivated and enjoyed by Indigenous peoples for centuries and is often described as tasting like a blend of banana, mango, pineapple, and papaya with a rich, custard-like texture.
Event Details
Dinner in the Dark 2026
June 24, 2026
Five Points Music Sanctuary