A Taste of HCC
Open house and free tasting event
Holyoke Community College will host an open house and free community tasting event on Wednesday, April 9, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute, 164 Race St., Holyoke.
Visitors will be able tour the state-of-the-art kitchens at the college’s culinary arts facility, sample dishes prepared by culinary arts students, faculty, learn about the college’s culinary arts certificate and associate degree programs, noncredit job training and personal enrichment classes, and play Food Bash Bingo for a chance to win prizes.
“We will have food in every kitchen, showcasing the work of out talented students and instructors,” said Stacy Graves, the culinary arts institute coordinator. “Various HCC programs and community partners will have informational tables in the dining room so the public can learn about their programs.”
Visitor will have the opportunity to talk to representatives from HCC programs including: Admissions, Marieb Adult Learner Success Center, HCC Foundation, Alumni Relations, Thrive Center and Food Pantry, El Centro, ALANA Men in Motion, and Jumpstart, as well as personnel from area community groups, including Tech Foundry/Tech Hub, United Way, Alzheimer’s Organization, and Holyoke Medical Center.
The HCC Culinary Arts Truck – a.k.a. The CAT – will also be parked outside the building for visitors to explore, and the HCC Culinary Arts Club will be selling homemade ice cream as a club fundraiser.
Staff from the HCC Admission’s office will also be on hand to discuss enrollment options, including MassEducate, the state program for free community college.
In 2021, HCC placed 50th among the Best Culinary Schools in America, a list that also includes such esteemed schools as the Culinary Institute of America. HCC's culinary program ranked third in New England after Johnson & Wales in Providence, R.I. and Southern Maine Community College in Portland. Best Choice Schools cited HCC for the quality of its one-year certificate and two-year associate of arts in science degree programs in culinary arts, as well as its 20,000 square-foot culinary arts facility, which opened in downtown Holyoke in 2018.
The HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute is equipped with four modern kitchens, a bakery, hotel lab, and student-run dining room.
For more information about HCC’s Culinary Arts program, please visit hcc.edu/culinary or send an email to CAI@hcc.edu.
PHOTO: HCC culinary arts students prepare a meal at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute.
