Durham, NC, January 16, 2007-Celebrating the good life can do good things for Durham, The Community Chest (TCC) believes. The nonprofit organization produces the Taste of Durham Festival, a quality-driven festival offering a unique venue to showcase international and cultural entertainment, area restaurant food sampling, art and cultural experiences, venues for artists and musicians, activities for children, and a unique mix of interactive entertainment. Another quality driven and eclectic music lineup will feature national, regional, local and emerging artists and a variety of music and international entertainment experiences with a contemporary approach on Saturday, May 26, 2007. "Bringing the community together with festivals is a powerful tool," said Kimberly Ruskan, the founder of The Community Chest, Inc. High-quality festivals set in motion is what Ruskan calls "the cycle of giving," the synergistic effect of giving back to the community, building stronger community relations, and enriching residents' lives through arts and cultural experiences. TCC believes 2007 will be better than previous years as they strive to add on new experiential segments and improve on systems as they grow and learn from each year.

"The festival was hosted at Brightleaf District for two successful years and the properties and the layout of the land were great launch pads for its ambiance," explained Ruskan. "We knew the festival would grow and require additional space. The second year reinforced how popular the festival became and it was apparent that we needed to find more land. It was a tedious process to find the right combination of landmass large enough to host a large-scale festival with ambiance, accessibility, parking, and other crucial logistics. We are pleased to announce that we found an appropriate venue to host the festival for Saturday May 26, 2007 at the Imperial Center in Durham, North Carolina."

The Imperial Center, founded in 1983, is a 456-acre mixed-use development conveniently located at the intersection of I-40 and I-540 in Durham with 67 companies employing about 5,000 people. Greg Sanchez, President and Owner of Tri Properties, which handles the development, leasing, and management of the park, stated, "Imperial Center has the ideal visibility, signage, access, and central Triangle location for this great festival. We are pleased to highlight Durham's strengths and support the community by offering the use of the park."

TCC's main intention is simply creating a quality gathering-place for people to enjoy the essence of the good life and to get a sampling of various international and cultural entertainment, foods influenced from cultures, and heritages with a contemporary twist. The festival is also an effective platform to highlight Durham's unique cultural offerings, helping to revitalize the local economy, showcasing organizations that support community and needs, and producing a unique and high-quality festival to enrich vast community groups.

The Community Chest approaches their mission with what they call "building the watering well," finding common denominators that appeal to people's needs and even their desires, which they sum up as the ambiance that transports you to a good place, great food, live music, and a slice of the good life. And it is their hope that this type of platform will create bridges toward appreciation, respect, and understanding of people from diverse cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds. "It takes small steps and sometimes extra creative collaborations towards finding solutions to a never-ending social issue," said Ruskan. "Just hanging around together in pleasant surroundings can do wonders for human relations."

Libby Barnes, President and CEO of Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce explained, "A Taste of Durham is an excellent venue to attract visitors and connect residents to feast on culinary delights and entertainment in a welcoming and festive environment which is an important component that helps build our local economy and a positive image of the community."

A festival within festivals: A summary of Festival highlights: Restaurant Food Sampling Infused with Cultural & International Food; Music Stages; a mix of eclectic music, jazz and blues, international and cultural entertainment; International Wine Tasting Pavilion; International Beer Tasting Garden; Food network Style Chef Demonstrations; Ice Sculpture Carving Contest; International Dance & Entertainment; Performance Showcase Stage; Kids Corner: International and Cultural Explorations and Fun!; Treats of Life; Art is Alive: Artist Exhibit; and more to be announced. Check the website for updated information.

Essentials

Date: May 26th, 2007, Saturday Website: www.tasteofdurham.org

New Location: Imperial Center, Emperor Blvd. Durham NC, 27703 (Page Rd Exit 282 off Interstate 40)

General Admission: $4 advance & $6 at festival. Time: 11am to 7pm

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CONTACT
Kimberly Ruskan Founder, The Community Chest, Inc.
919-572-6551 or 919-401-2926