Live performances, family fun, and the flavors of
over forty of the region’s most popular restaurants come
together this Columbus Day weekend, when a favorite community
event pays a special musical and culinary tribute to the capital
city. The largest international food and music festival on the
East Coast, the TASTE OF DC: A Salute to Our City will take place
October 12-14, 2002 on historic Pennsylvania Avenue, between 7th
and 14th Streets, NW. Over one million people are expected to
attend the free, three-day event, which will salute the District
through samplings of regional cuisine, free entertainment by well-known
Washington, DC natives, and appearances by top local chefs. In
addition, visitors can enjoy free interactive exhibits and children’s
activities at KidzQuest; watch cooking demonstrations at the new
Fine Dining Pavilion; shop for vacation ideas at the Travel WorldShowcase;
and admire the works of local artisans at the Global Village Crafts
Bazaar.
WHAT’S NEW AT THE TASTE OF
DC
Now produced by the Washington, DC Convention
and Tourism Corporation (WCTC), the TASTE OF DC will spread
over two additional city blocks to accommodate several new features,
including two general seating areas on Pennsylvania Avenue.
At the new Fine Dining Pavilion, presented by the Downtown Business
Improvement District, leading Washington, DC chefs (including
Michel Richard of Citronelle and Todd Gray of Equinox) will
demonstrate the preparation of their signature dishes at nine
ticketed, timed seatings. The TASTE will also play host to Dodge
City, presented by Dodge, where car lovers can become part of
a NASCAR Pit Crew or ride in a Winston Cup simulator. To encourage
out of town visitors to take advantage of the festival, several
hotels will offer TASTE OF DC packages, available for purchase
online at www.washington.org.
The citywide salute will continue beyond the three-day
event at more than ten of the city’s most celebrated restaurants,
where top chefs will prepare signature “Tastes of DC”—local
specialties and international dishes with Washingtonian accents—throughout
the month of October. The Oceanaire Seafood Room will highlight
local flavors with Stuffed Virginia Rainbow Trout with Maryland
Oysters, while Jaleo plays upon the city’s global character
with Catalan Chicken and Pork Soup. Other leading chefs, including
Michel Richard and Todd Gray, will also add “Tastes of
DC” to their menus.
This year, the WCTC will produce the Travel WorldShowcase,
with more than 30 hot destinations and travel service organizations
available on site to offer fresh ideas and useful information
for winter getaways.
TASTE OF THE TALENT
The Salute to our City will include performances
by several local talents, including those that have evolved
into industry greats. The TASTE OF DC will feature the vocals
of Shirley Horne and other noted women performers dubbed “DC
as."
The Washington, DC native known as the “Godfather
of Go Go,” the legendary Chuck Brown will promote his new
CD, Put Your Hands Up, with a special live performance. Brown
will be honored as the Dirty Dozen Brass Band performs one of
his songs.
Other performers scheduled to date include Uncle
Kracker (courtesy of Z104), Fighting Gravity, and Native Roots
(courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum
of the American Indian).
Live performances will be held throughout the
course of the three-day festival, at the Heineken Pavilion Stage
(12th St. and Pennsylvania Ave., NW) and the Capitol Music Stage
(7th St. and Pennsylvania Ave., NW).
FUN FOR THE FAMILY
This year’s TASTE OF DC will continue its
kid-pleasing traditions, offering music, art, dancing, fitness,
science, and family fun at the action-packed KidzQuest pavilion.
The TASTE salutes the talented young dancers, singers and musicians
of the metropolitan region with live performances on the Youth
Talent Showcase Stage, while the Family Dance Pavilion will
keep children and parents up to date on the latest dance crazes.
In the Arts Pavilion, VSA Arts, an international
nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the creative power
in people with disabilities, will lead specific craft activities
each day. In addition, they will encourage all children to contribute
to a large group art project that will be exhibited in the VSA
Arts gallery over the course of the next year. The Fillmore
Arts Center will also demonstrate pottery techniques.
The KidzQuest Fitness Pavilion will promote lifelong
wellness through demonstrations in tae kwon do, basketball,
and soccer. The American Geological Institute will bring activities
and exhibits tied to Earth Science Week to the KidzQuest Science
Pavilion.
The Just For Fun Pavilion will entertain families
with arts, crafts, games, magic demonstrations and a yo-yo workshop.
The Eleventh Annual TASTE OF DC: A Salute to our
City will take place Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, October 12-14,
2002, from 11:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m. daily. Admission is free and open
to the general public. Food and drink tickets are available in
strips of 5 for $6 or in bundles of 25 for $25. Tickets can be
purchased at seven on-site ticket booths.
For updated festival information, log on to www.washington.org
or call (202) 789-7002. Partial proceeds from the TASTE OF DC
will benefit the DC Central Kitchen; 3rd and Eats; Rap, Inc; Project
Harvest; and The Children’s Cancer Foundation.
