By Maya Betti 

The rainclouds parted just in time for Roseville to roll out the welcome mat. 

Kicking off Taste of Rosefest 2025, neighbors flooded into Muriel Sahlin Arboretum to celebrate the start of the city’s annual summer tradition — with full hearts, full plates and reusable cups in hand. 

“Cozy is, like, the first word that comes to mind,” said Megan Pulvermacher, attending her first-ever city event since moving to Roseville a year ago. “I’m seeing a lot of, like, people recognizing other people… It feels like a small town.” 

Food took center stage at the event, with local restaurants and vendors handing out small bites to give attendees a literal taste of Roseville. 

“It’s nice to get little bites from different places all over Roseville,” said Marie Valois, a second-time attendee. “You might not necessarily get the chance to just have one little bite from each place to get a feel for it… It’s mutually beneficial.” 

Pizza Lucé’s Ashley Mattson echoed the excitement. “Meeting our neighbors and sampling out good pizza… we can accommodate all dietary restrictions, and we have brunch on the weekends — just kind of getting the word out.” 

Pizza Luce’s booth, featuring their new dilio Pizza made with dill cream cheese, dill pickles, crispy cucumber on top, and lots and lots of fresh dill. Photo by Maya Betti. 

But the festival didn’t just focus on food; it made sustainability a key ingredient. Compostable utensils, reusable cups and thoughtful waste reduction strategies helped keep the event green. 

“These events generate so much waste… think about every single person that comes through here is using multiple plates and spoons and forks and things like that,” said Noelle Bakken, a sustainability volunteer. 

Staff with the City of Roseville, highlighting the sustainability element of the festival. Photo by Maya Betti. 

Due to this emphasis on sustainability, 90 to 95% or more of the waste that was generated at Taste of Rosefest was either recyclable or compostable, according to Bakken. 

Organizations like TSE, which supports adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and Every Meal, a nonprofit focused on food insecurity, were also on site, reflecting Roseville’s heart for community care. 

“We are like the fabric of the community here, so we want to make sure that people know about us. Even though we’ve been around for 61 years, there are still people who want to learn about us,” said TSE Chief Program Officer Kim Frost. 

TSE offers programs that teach adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities ways to learn job skills, meaning that volunteering is important to their mission. 

Volunteer Terry Smith sharing information about the Every Meal program. Photo by Maya Betti. 

Every Meal, which shared a booth with Every Meal, discreetly delivers bags of food into student backpacks each week to ensure no child goes hungry over the weekend. Just in Roseville, there are 300 students in eight schools who receive Every Meal’s meals, according to Terry Smith, a volunteer with Every Meal. 

Smith hopes events like Rosefest spark reflection. 

“I like to interact with people who are doing things that are fun and are not free, and get them to think about how lucky they are, and how there are people who could never do such a thing,” said Smith. 

Even the Roseville Police Department joined in with a friendly face at the Taste of Rosefest. 

Officers manned a booth selling stuffed animals modeled after their two K-9s — proceeds going toward the department’s rescue vehicle fund. 

K9s Cal and Rooster posing next to their identical stuffed animals, which are selling for $25 each. Photo by Maya Betti 

“It’s really important for us to to be available and to be out in the open and having engaging with people in a different way, and maybe a more sort of laid back, relaxed setting than in a serious police call for service or a traffic stop,” Community Relations Specialist for the Roseville Police Tom Pitzl. 

From neighbors reconnecting over local food to organizations sharing their work, the event demonstrated that Rosevillers show up — rain or shine.