Hundreds of guests had their pick of soup de jour at The Downtown Windsor Soup Kitchen recently hosted at the St. Clair College Centre for the Arts.
The event featured celebrity guests from Windsor Police, Essex-Windsor EMS and Windsor Fire and Rescue Services, along with media personalities and community champions dishing out multiple varieties of soup to about 500 people on Jan. 14, 2026.
"We hosted our inaugural Soup Kitchen in 2025, and the feedback and turnout was so overwhelming, we realized we needed to make it an annual event," said Joe D'Angela, the Senior Director of St. Clair College Centre for the Arts, Campus Partnerships and Advancement at the College. "Whether it's to try out great soup, meet new people or connect with old friends, it's becoming an event people mark in their calendars."
There was a little bit of something for every palate, including carrot ginger soup, chicken noodle soup, vegetarian enchilada soup, bacon cheeseburger soup and chicken and sausage gumbo.
The Community Saints initiative involved the Student Representative Council, Saints Student Athletic Association and Alumni), which also sponsored the event.
Proud community partners include AM800, Belair Direct Insurance, YQGreen and Champion Paper.
Servers take a break from dishing out soup for a group photo at the second annual Soup Kitchen at the St. Clair College Centre for the Arts on Jan. 14, 2026. (Sofiia Deretska/St. Clair College)
The soup recipes are crafted by the talented chefs at St. Clair College and prepared for the masses by current students in the Culinary Management program.
The event also supports a great cause, with proceeds going to the College's Foundation. Roughly $5,000 was raised, which will support student scholarships.
"It's a win-win-win for the community and our students," D'Angela said. "The community gets to warm their bellies with some incredible flavours, our students get to try their hands at new challenges and ultimately, students benefit through this Foundation fundraising."
If you missed the Soup Kitchen, you may want to mark your calendars for two more exciting culinary opportunities in the coming months.
The inaugural Chili Fest will take place at the Centre for the Arts on Feb. 11, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the Pasta Fest will take over the same space at the Alumni Skyline Ballroom on March 12, also from 11 to 2.
"Hosting events downtown is a great way to give the people who work and live in this quarter a chance to share good food, reconnect and visit St. Clair College," said D'Angela. "People asked for more, we listened, and the result is three signature events, each providing unique cuisine for all the foodies out there."
Tickets for the upcoming Chili and Pasta Fests are $15 and available for pre-order at the Chrysler Theatre Box Office.
