In only its fifth year, the Mammoth Food and Wine Experience has blossomed into a fun and delicious weekend with wine walks, cooking battles, live music and exciting auctions. All proceeds go to the Mammoth Lakes Foundation, a community non­profit.

The fun starts Friday evening, June 26, with the Wine Walk in the Village at Mammoth from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Guests will be able to stroll through the village while tasting over 50 different kinds of wine from 15 California wineries. Also happening will be a silent auction featuring a variety of goods and services, and guests can use their smartphones to keep up with the bidding on BiddingforGood.com. The Wine Walk is $45 in advance, $50 at the entrance and includes wine and a tasting glass.

Also part of the fun at the Grand Tasting will be a Celebrity Chef Battle with two teams of four chefs, one pair from Mammoth and another from Los Angeles, who will complete in a live contest. Chefs will be given a mystery basket of main ingredients along with a common pantry of staple items. Each team will have 25 minutes to create a spectacular dish to be judged by a panel of experts who will determine a winner based on taste, creativity and presentation. Guests can also participate in a live auction featuring a chance to bid on the fine wines they are sampling as well as sports equipment, vacations and spa experiences.

For this special 5th anniversary year, tickets will be only $99 in advance, in honor of the Founder of Mammoth Ski Resort and the Mammoth Lakes Foundation, Dave McCoy, who is 99 years old. Tickets will be $120 at the entrance. Tickets to both events can be purchased online.

Looking to join in the fun? Consider becoming a volunteer. The Foundation asks volunteers to serve a four hour shift between 8 AM to 8 PM on either day, and volunteers receive great benefits. Call 760-­934-­3781 or email Dion Agee at [email protected] to sign up.

Visit the Mammoth Food & Wine Experience website for more information on tickets and volunteering.