Ligonier's Soup's On sold out again

As it celebrates its 10th anniversary, Ligonier’s Soup’s On is enjoying a boon in the number of participants lining up with their ladles.

The event, sponsored by the Ligonier Valley Chamber of Commerce, has 23 restaurant and merchant pairings, up from 20 last year, says Scott Haines, chamber executive director.

Tickets for the $20 Soup’s On, set for 11 a.m.-2 p.m. March 23, went on sale Feb. 1. They have, as in previous years, sold out well in advance of the event.

“We were able to find a few more (restaurants) to do the soups. We already had the interest from the merchants’ side,” Haines says.

The popular winter activity lets participants walk around the borough and visit its merchants, as local restaurants serve samples of their soups.

“First of all, you get a lot of people coming into town tasting a lot of different soups. Who doesn’t like soup?” he adds.

Many of the makers get creative, vying for votes in different categories by showing off their chops at making their soups stand out from others.

Some chefs hold back on releasing their soup flavors, keeping their creation a secret until it lands in tasters’ bowls. “It’s kind of competitive. People take pride in what they make,” Haines says.

A map helps guide visitors to each soup-serving site.

Ladles at the ready

Lucky ticket holders can sample and vote for their favorite soups at the following locations:

• Beauty Boutique at Salon 1, 100 E. Main St., Ligonier Country Club, creamy beef and mushroom soup

• Post & Rail Men’s Shop, 104 E. Main St., Stone House Restaurant, butternut squash soup

• Ligonier Creamery, 105 E. Main St., Ligonier Tavern & Table, lobster bisque

• The Black Bunny Boutique, 105 E. Main St., Eastwood Inn

• Conte Design Lifestyle Gallery, 113 E. Main St., The Kitchen on Main

• Martin’s Specialty Shop, 116 E. Main St., Eastern Westmoreland Career & Technology Center, Cajun ham and potato chowder

• Celtic Culture, 137 E. Main St., Covenant Presbyterian Church, Pho - Vietnamese beef-based soup

• G Squared, 138 E. Main St., Main Street Wine Bar

• Second Chapter Books, 139 E. Main St., Sharkey’s Café/The Pier, loaded pierogie soup

• Carol’s, 219 E. Main St., Ransome’s Pub & Grill

• Mommy Gear, 107 S. St. Clair St., Darlington Inn, chicken vegetable

• Ligonier Sweet Shop, 119 W. Main St., Wicked Googly, mushroom soup

• Betsy’s of Ligonier, 131 W. Main St., Carol and Dave’s Roadhouse

• Song of Sixpence, 138 W. Main St., Gray Goose Lakeside Lounge

• My Honeybee, 138 W. Main St., Suite B, Foggy Mountain Lodge & Restaurant, creamy beef barley

• Thistledown at Segar House, 221 W. Main St., Miram’s Table Café

• Main Exhibit Gallery & Art Center, 301 W. Main St., Bethlen Communities, Hungarian goulas

• The Finishing Touch, 103 N. Market St., Laurel Mountain Ski Shop, wildkat stew

• My Bella Pets, 120 N. Market St., Ligonier Giant Eagle

• The Fitting Room, 122 N. Market St., Diamond Café, Wisconsin cheese soup

• Fort Ligonier, 200 S. Market St., Connections Café, white bean and kale soup

• Scamps Toffee Inc., 111 N. Fairfield St., The Road Toad, Italian sausage and pasta soup

• Ligonier YMCA, 110 W. Church St., Grateful Smoke BBQ, Brunswick stew