The third annual Taste of Durham Festival (TOD) in 2007 was another overwhelming success at its new location at the Imperial Center in Durham, NC, a 485-acre business complex managed by Tri Properties, Inc. Up to 18,000 guests gathered to experience the ambiance and festivities at the topnotch destination festival, the first project produced by the Community Chest, (TCC). TCC is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that supports community enrichments with innovative and distinctive project-based initiatives. The festival's new site resolved many logistical issues by providing more space to accommodate the growth in attendance, offering greater accessibility, and allowing proper timing and space for set up, parking, security, traffic blockades, and other crucial logistics. Planning has begun for 2008. The festival will be hosted at the same location, and TCC is always striving to improve each year.

TCC will continue in the tradition to showcase international and cultural entertainment, ethnic dance demonstrations, a New Orleans-style Mardi Gras Parade, area restaurant food sampling, wine and beer tasting pavilions, art and cultural experiences, venues for artist and musicians, family focused activities, and a unique mix of interactive entertainment. The eclectic music lineup features known and emerging artists. Visit the photo gallery of people enjoying the activities and entertainment on the website at www.tasteofdurham.org.

Taste of Durham is inspired by Durham County and serves many communities with deliberate, inclusive, and varied programming. TCC tries to include as many nationalities and cultural experiences in the food sampling, music, dance, and entertainment activities as possible. The diversity is obvious in Durham, and there are constant reminders of our international and cultural neighbors that can be witnessed every day. Gracious openness is the essence of the festival format.

A phrase used in designing TOD is "cycle of giving," which is an inner dependence from various participants, restaurants, businesses, and attendees which also, in turn, benefit from their contributions. The ultimate benefit for businesses' and supporters' involvement is exposure to a large audience. Not only does Taste of Durham provide an affordable quality arts and cultural experience for various communities, it is an economic development support platform for area restaurants and businesses. For artists and musicians who deal with many challenges and trends in the music and entertainment arena, the festival serves as a quality platform to showcase their talents. TCC efforts also contribute to enhance Durham's image and encourages community engagement. There is great thought and planning to support and enrich many people, groups, and cultures. As the festival grows, TCC relies on various service providers and products. In turn, this also contributes to the economic business cycle as we conduct business with local and area businesses.

Another focus for TOD is the arts and cultural explorations. Diverse cultures can inspire so many creative art forms in music, performances, visual arts, and entertainment, and TCC also includes culinary art as a creative medium. Our deliberate programming of various art forms at Taste of Durham is designed to help create bridges to connect people, create awareness of diverse cultures, nurture human relations, and serve as a positive agent to support a large community base. The power of the effective platform is to share in its bounty.

The sharing and giving of a "taste" of cultures and diverse backgrounds can take everyone one step closer to nurturing respect and appreciating diversity in our communities. This is an idealistic notion and TCC is pragmatic in their approach. Ms. Kimberly Ruskan is the founder of TCC and adds, "All we can do is to try our best with our given means."

Ms. Ruskan shares some reinforced lessons learned in her journey to produce TOD. She states, "First, everyone seems misunderstood. Second, you really don't know people until you're in the thick of it, being involved, face-to-face, hearing their stories, and using a hands-on approach to understand them. I have gotten to learn about so many interesting people, their stories, experiences, and backgrounds. And third I believe there are solutions to our social issues and concerns. They come in all sizes and scope. And like the people of the community, they all count when pursued with an honest agenda."

TCC welcomes anyone seeking a quality place that transports you to a good place, great food, live music, and a slice of the good life with an international twist at the Taste of Durham on May 24th 2008.

Contact: 919-401-2926 or 919- 572-6551
Address: P.O. Box 13793 Durham, NC 27709
Essentials: Saturday, May 24th, 2008
Website: www.tasteofdurham.org
Location: Outdoors at Imperial Center Surrounding Winchester Place (near Sheraton Imperial Hotel Page Rd Exit 282 off Interstate 40) 4309 Emperor Blvd., Durham, NC 27703