–Event Celebrates Local Food and Wine, While Toasting Neighborhood’s Many Successes–

 New York (September 20, 2012) – “Harvest in the Square,” one of the City’s largest culinary events, returned to Union Square Park for the 17th year delighting foodies across New York City.  This year, more than 50 restaurants and nearly 20 wineries presented a mouth-watering menu of offerings with some new creations making their debut at this treasured annual celebration of community and cuisine.  Presented by the Union Square Partnership, “Harvest in the Square” benefits a number of park beautification initiatives including landscaping and fun programs to delight all ages.

The Union Square neighborhood offers a vast assortment of gourmet fare that would take thousands of dollars and lots of time to sample.  “Harvest in the Square” provides a taste of the district in one delicious evening.

Over the last 16 years, Harvest in the Square has raised nearly $2.5 million from more than 16,000 guests and sponsors.  The Union Square Partnership has re-invested those funds in the park and surrounding area through various initiatives including:

• Completing a 15,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art playground
• Restoring the iconic north-end Pavilion
• Creating new plazas on the park’s north and south sides
• Planting dozens of trees and thousands of shrubs and flowers
• Installing a wrought-iron fence, irrigation system, trash receptacles, stone planters
• Hiring a full-time Playground Associate for the new playground
• Establishing a district-wide cleaning team
• Expanding “Summer in the Square” programming
• Bring world-class public art to the park

The Partnership makes significant investments annually to plant new bulbs, clean flower beds, prune shrubs, aerate the soil, treat the lawn and provide general maintenance of the grounds.  In total, hundreds of new plantings are placed throughout the park including annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, vines, and potted plants.  In recent years, the Partnership has made targeted investments including a new irrigation system, reseeding the center, eastern and southern lawns, creating a new area for seating at the north end of the center lawn, and installing new internal wrought iron fences to highlight the Park’s landscape.  Additionally, the Partnership installed a fountain at the dog run through a donation from the ASPCA.  During the spring and summer months when daily activity in the district is at its peak, the Partnership responds by increasing the presence of sanitation and security services.

Participating Restaurants & Wineries

 Union Square stands out as home to many of the City’s top-rated restaurants and popular eateries, and the area is rich with world-renowned chefs who prepare some of the choicest dishes the Big Apple has to offer.  Several of this year’s inspired culinary creations utilize farm-fresh produce from the Union Square Greenmarket, the largest and most famous Greenmarket in the city.

Joining this year’s glittering cast of participating restaurants are newcomers Alison Eighteen, Beecher’s Cheese, Craft, The House, Ngam, Parea Bistro, Strip House New York, Tommy Lasagna, and Vic & Anthony’s.

Returning favorites include 5 Napkin Burger, Aleo, Almond, Big Daddy’s, BLT Fish, BLT Prime, Blue Smoke, Blue Water Grill, Bread & Tulips, Casa Mono & Bar Jamon, Chat ‘n Chew, City Crab & Seafood Company, The Coffee Shop, Dévi, Dos Caminos Park, Duke’s, Gramercy Tavern, Hill Country Barbecue Market, Hill Country Chicken, Junoon, Knickerbocker Bar & Grill, L.A. Burdick Chocolate, Laut, National Arts Club, OLiVES New York, Republic, Rosa Mexicano, San Rocco New York, SD26 Restaurant, The Soft Serve Fruit Co., Stand 4, Steak Frites, SushiSamba Park, Tamarind, Tarallucci e Vino, Tocqueville, Union Square Ballroom, Union Square Cafe, ‘wichcraft, and Wildwood Barbeque.

Wineries showcased this year will include Bedell Cellars, Brotherhood America’s Oldest Winery, Corey Creek Vineyards, Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars, Millbrook Vineyards & Winery, Mionetto Prosecco, The Lenz Winery, Paumanok Vineyards, Raphael, Ravines Wine Cellars, Re Midas, Southern Wine & Spirits of NY, Standing Stone Vineyards, Vina Casas Patronales, Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery, and Wolffer Estate Vineyards.

Finger Lakes Wine Alliance – 2011 Vintage Riesling Launch includes Antony Road Wine Company, Atwater Estate Vineyards, Billsboro Winery, Casa Larga Vinyards, Damiani Wine Cellars, Dr. Konstantin Frank Wine Cellars, Fox Run Vineyards, Fulkerson Winery, Glenora Wine Cellars, Heron Hill Winery, Hosmer Winery, Hunt Country Vineyards, Keuka Lake Vineyards, Keuka Spring Vineyards, Knapp Winery, Lakewood Vineyards, Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars, Lucas Vineyards, McGregor Winery, Ravines Wine Cellars, Red Newt Cellars, Rooster Hill Vineyards, Seneca Shore Wine Cellars, Sheldrake Point, Standing Stone Vineyards, Swedish Hill Winery, Thirsty Owl Wine Company, Three Brothers Winery, Wagner Vineyards, and Zugibe Vineyards.

Additional beverages will be showcased from GUS Grown Up Soda, Heartland Brewery, Irving Farm Coffee, and THINK Coffee.

2012 Special Exhibitors include City Harvest, Greenmarket Farmers Market, and Whole Foods Market Union Square.

About the Union Square Partnership

 The Union Square Partnership (USP) is a private, not-for-profit community-based organization responsible for the revitalization of the 14th Street-Union Square neighborhood.  USP mission is to improve the quality-of-life for the district’s residents, businesses and visitors, by providing public safety, sanitation, economic development and marketing services, and investing in the beautification of Union Square Park.  For more information, visit unionsquarenyc.org.