Saturday, November 14, 2026
The cry of “soup’s on” will soon be appropriate for the 11th annual Souper Bowl Marco.
Set for 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, February 10th at Mackle Park, the event features one-of-a-kind ceramic bowls, hand-crafted and painted by Marco Island school children as well as community members. The unique vessels are sold to attendees, who can then have them filled with the sumptuous soups prepared and donated by 10 of the island’s restaurants and, for the first time, a community group.
The cost is $20 per person, which includes a silent auction of artists’ serving bowls. A pre-sale session will be held from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM February 9th for people who want to reserve a specific bowl, something that is especially popular with parents. The cost is $25 per bowl.
The event serves as a fundraiser for the Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce and its Leadership Marco Scholarship Fund, which provides financial awards to local students. Last year, seven scholarships totaling $10,000 were presented to graduating seniors who were moving on to some form of higher education.
2024 marks the first year for Al’s Pals Mobile Food Pantry’s participation. The organization’s members will be preparing a soup that’s often dispensed to the food pantry’s clients.
“We will be serving our minestrone,” said Al’s Pals co-founder Allyson Richards. “Several chefs worked with us to create the recipes we use weekly. The soup contains lots of fresh vegetables, beans, broth, tomatoes, and fresh spices from a local garden. We believe soups help heal us and show us we are loved.”
She said the event is in keeping with the organization’s desire to brighten the corner where we live.
“Al’s Pals believes that by working together, we can change the world by making it a tad sweeter,” explained Richards. “In this case, we can assist students with much-needed scholarships to further their goals.”
She views events such as the Souper Bowl as a key element in a community’s vitality and cohesiveness.
“Although Marco is a small island, we must always strive to maintain a sense of community of shared missions, in this case, working together for the greater good of our local students,” said Richards. “We feel any time we can all come together for any purpose is a win.”
Those sentiments were echoed by Pat Hagedorn, who’s been a Souper Bowl volunteer since its inception. She’s one of “The Saucy Sisters,” a cooking group that has a unique approach to exploring that topic. “The interesting thing about the Saucy Sisters being a cooking group is that what we make are reservations,” she observed with a hearty laugh.
Like Al’s Pals, this will be the group’s first time taking part in the Souper Bowl. They’re joined by members of another informal assemblage that includes Hagedorn as a member, Ladies Who Lunch, who all hail from the same neighborhood.
But rather than cooking, the women took part in painting the bowls. “We just made it an event, and everybody had a great time, and it's for such a good cause,” said Hagedorn.
“I think that if you have been blessed, you have to give back,” she added. “And everyone in the community loves this event. It's a great way to all get together. People look forward to it. The money goes for a very good cause. I mean, you're doing good and you're having fun doing it. How can you beat that?”
Bowls were also painted by the Marco Island Dementia Respite Senior Luncheon. But the bulk of them were painted by students at Lely High School, Tommie Barfield Elementary School (TBE), Marco Island Charter Middle School (MICMS) and Marco Island Academy (MIA). Teachers Kevin Smith from Lely, Lane Beauvais from TBE, Tori Pasloe from MICMS, and Shane Totten from MIA oversaw the artwork at their schools.
As with past years, a total of 800 bowls have been painted, enough to contain the amount of soup that will be prepared.
Restaurants participating in Souper Bowl ’24 include Quinn’s on the Beach at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, CJ’s on the Bay, The Italian Deli and Market, the Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort and Spa, Deep Lagoon Seafood and Oyster Bar, Pinchers Crab Shack, Mango’s Dockside Bistro, The Sand Bar and The Island Country Club.
However, several eateries that have taken part in the past are unable to this year including Speakeasy and The Boulevard and tragically, Bistro Soleil.
The restaurant unexpectedly closed permanently recently in November after an inspection found that its home in the Olde Marco Inn and Suites, built in 1883, was structurally unsound, and the repairs could not be safely achieved. Lisa Meurgue, who owned Bistro Soleil with her husband Denis, the eatery’s chef, had coordinated restaurants for the Souper Bowl since it began.
Lisa Meurgue described not being part of the soup preparing process as heartbreaking. “But I am still helping out with the event, which is near and dear to my heart, as a former business owner,” she added.
She also noted that volunteers are always welcome for the event, while Donna Niemczyk, the chamber’s programs and events manager, pointed out that opportunities for event sponsorships are still available.
Souper Bowl sponsorship levels include:
Anyone interested in being a sponsor or seeking more information contact Niemczyk at donna@marcoislandchamber.org.
Mackle Park is located at 1361 Andalusia Terrace. For more information about the Souper Bowl, please contact Niemczyk at 239-394-7549.
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