Excerpts: DURHAM -- Durham's flavor will be on display, demonstrated and up for the tasting at the second annual Taste of Durham Festival. There's a focus on food, but the Bull City's music scene will be ready for sampling, too. A veritable cornucopia of sights, sounds and tastes is planned for Saturday. Main events include: Taste of Jazz: Preservation Hall Style performances; Hamilton Hill stage featuring music, magic and dance; Kids Corner of interactive and educational activities; Treats of Life for sweet tooths; the Taste of New Orleans Mardi Gras procession; the Art is Alive interactive showcase of art; and the Ice Sculpture Carving Contest.

"The bottom line is that we're trying to create a food experience, a high end life experience, without the pretentiousness," she said. (Ruskan, Founder of The Community Chest, non profit organization who produces TOD) Also new this year is the Taste of Jazz area and a different food area for demonstrations, which will be held outside. Ruskan is taking a Food Network approach to the demos, with a huge tilting mirror over the kitchen counter that acts as a plasma screen television, she said. Ruskan wanted a taste of everything -- not just in food, but music as well. Performers include young talent as well as longtime local bands, she said. "Music is just as important, like a side dish," Ruskan said.

Wine tasting returns to this year's festival, as well as a new element of an International Beer Tasting Garden for those who want to sample beers.

Libby Barnes, president and CEO of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, said the festival is an opportunity to bring the community together around a common interest -- food.

Taste of Durham schedule of events
For updates or more information, visit www.tasteofdurham.org

Main Stage
11 a.m. -- Family Sircle
12:30 p.m. -- Solazo
2:30 p.m. -- The Countdown Quartet
4:30 p.m. -- The Buddhahood
6:30 p.m. -- HOBEX

Brightleaf Square Courtyard
Triangle Celebrity Chef Demonstrations. Chefs will demonstrate cooking and other culinary skills.
11 a.m. -- Stacy Grisham, executive chef, Marriott at the Durham Civic Center, Cooking with Fish 101, Firecracker Shrimp, chef's journeys
Noon -- Dale Ray, corporate chef of Giorgio's Hospitality Group, New American Contemporary Condiments
1 p.m. -- Tyrone Holmes, president and CEO of Spice It Up! Sauce, Making Hot Sauces
1:40 p.m. -- Damion Moore, executive chef and co-owner of Blue Mountain Catering; Cooking with Fire.
3:10 p.m. -- Chris Stinnert, executive chef of Pop's and Ru Clair Restaurant
4:30 p.m. -- Omar Hummes, owner of Elegant Touches Catering.
5:45 p.m. -- David Filippini and Mike Krock, culinary specialist at Earth Fare, Simple Summer Sicilian Salads
6:50 p.m. -- Ciro Rendino, owner of Ciro's Pizza and Trattoria, A Five-course Taste of Naples, Italy.

Performance Showcase Stage
Noon -- Greg Taylor
1 p.m. -- David DiGiuseppe
2 p.m. -- Charles Justice Band
3 p.m. -- Jack McKinnon
4 p.m. -- Diane Colyer
5 p.m. -- Real Reubens
6:20 p.m. -- Jaafar

Taste of Jazz stage
11:30 a.m. -- Willie Hill
1 p.m. -- The Countdown Quartet
1:35 p.m. -- Gabriel Pelli
2 p.m. -- Frankie Alexander and Friends
5:30 p.m. -- Wilton Dubois Steel Drum Jazz

Hamilton Hill Stage
11:45 a.m. -- David DiGiuseppe
12:40 p.m. -- Gabriel Pelli
12:45 p.m. -- Salsa 4u
1:25 p.m. -- Jack Wolf
2:45 p.m. -- David DiGiuseppe
4 p.m. -- Tangophilia
6 p.m. -- Tim Dumas

Kids Corner stage
11:30 a.m. -- Meeko the Monkey's A to Z Animal Band! Book readings and interactive activities
Noon -- Donovan Zimmerman of Paperhand Puppet Intervention
1 p.m. -- Juggles the Magic Clown
1:40 -- Jimmy Magoo
2:10 p.m. -- Meet Band Members from Solazo
3:40 p.m. -- Jimmy Magoo
4:30 p.m. -- Wilton Dubois

Other children's events:
Playtime in Africa. Come experience Africa through play. Dance to traditional African music, make African toys, and pretend you are living in an African hut. See and touch genuine artifacts from Kenya and Uganda.
The Prudential Playhouse is a bouncy house built for kids of all ages to have fun in. It includes an area to jump and climb, and slide.
Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University will have a booth with information about current and upcoming exhibitions as well as a variety of public programs.

Other events
International Wine Tasting Pavilion
International Beer Tasting Garden
Ice Sculpture Carving Contest Ice Carving Competition, 11 a.m.
Taste of New Orleans' Madri Gras Procession headed by Countdown Quartet, 2:30 p.m.

Copyright, 2006, The Durham Herald Company URL for this full story at www.heraldsun.com/archives/