Remember the Barrel Monster? For all of us who thought the idea was brilliant, here’s our chance to create our own monsters, or any other fun sculpturelegally and for a great cause. The Creative Food Drive (creativefooddrive.weebly.com) on Oct. 15 at the Durham Farmers’ Market pavilion pits teams against one another in a competition to determine who can build the most creative structure out of non-perishable food items. Hosted by the Durham-based architecture firm MHAworks, the contest features teams of local businesses, companies and students.
According to MHAworks marketing coordinator and event promoter Brittany Guarino, it’s a race: Teams have two hours to put together their structures in six-by-six-foot squares on the spot. All of the food items will go to the Durham branch of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina (durham.foodbankcenc.org). Guarino encourages attendees to bring monetary and food donations for the food bank. She and her colleague George Hining came up with the idea while discussing creative ways to bring the community together and realizing that Durham has a “serious hunger problem,” she says.
The event, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., will be emceed by NPR’s Frank Stasio and will highlight the entries as well as live music from local acts Brett Harris, Lizzy Ross Band and LiLa. Attendees will have a chance to win $100 gift certificates to local restaurants. And it wouldn’t be Durham without food trucks: Pie Pushers, Will and Pop’s, Slippin’ Sliders, Farmhand Foods, The Parlour and DaisyCakes; plus Local Yogurt and local beer by Fullsteam, Triangle Brewing Company and Bull City Burger and Brewery.
For more information or to enter, contact Brittany or George at 682-2870 or email cfd@mhaworks.com.
General admission tickets are still available for both the afternoon and evening session at All About Beer Magazine‘s World Beer Festival Saturday at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. For $40, sample 300 craft and specialty beers in two-ounce pours while listening to music by local bands and attending educational sessions by industry experts. See www.allaboutbeer.com.
If you were inspired by the Indy‘s recent book review of Wildly Affordable Organic, here’s a chance to test the theory with some free products. Local author and Cook For Good creator Linda Watson wants to prove her point by giving you a free ebook with five recipes and a chance to win organic food products with every donation you make to Slow Food USA by Oct. 9. Visit www.cookforgood.com.
For folks interested in supporting the local Slow Food Triangle chapter, join them in a feast during the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association’s 26th annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference. The Local Foods Feast on Nov. 11 features a meal prepared with all-local, sustainably grown ingredients. Keynote speaker Joan Dye Gussow, author of This Organic Life, is considered a living legend by Slow Food Triangle. She’ll detail her life championing local foods and a sustainable food system. Tickets are $50. For more information on the event and the conference, which features a slew of lectures and workshops in sustainable agriculture, cooking and more, visit www.carolinafarmstewards.org.
Know of a restaurant happening or food event? Email food@indyweek.com.
