Durham resident Crystal Dreisbach counts numerous community organizers and planners among her friends. So last spring when someone blurted out “I love Durham so much I wish that I could marry it,” a plan was born. “What an idea for a community event,” Dreisbach says. Thus began a long engagement and plans for a wedding, “although not your typical wedding,” Dreisbach explains. “A marriage between the city and the people who love it.”
Witness a ceremony for individuals and businesses as they Marry Durham at 4 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot at Motorco Music Hall (723 Rigsbee Ave., motorcomusic.com). Pay $5 at the door to participate as a guest or to enter into a common-law marriage with the city. Or make a larger donation ($20 and up) to receive an “official” marriage certificate. Proceeds will benefit five Durham nonprofits: Eno River Association, Genesis Home, Latino Community Development Center, The Scrap Exchange and Walltown Children’s Theatre.
Of course, no wedding would be complete without food and entertainment. In addition to local musicians and dancers, Dreisbach has arranged a smattering of food trucks and vendorsincluding Bulkogi Korean BBQ, Daisy Cakes, Farmhand Foods, Klausie’s Pizza, KoKyu BBQ, Lloyd’s Outside Grill, Locopops, Pie Pushers and Slippin’ Slidersto set up spots throughout the downtown area and serve food to the brides, grooms and guests. “We definitely wanted Durham’s food truck culture to be a part of the ceremony,” Dreisbach says. For an official map and schedule, visit marrydurham.com.
If the wedding doesn’t have the food truck of your choice, chances are that’s because it’s planned to park at the Carrboro Food Truck Showcase between 4 and 7 p.m. Saturday at Al’s Garage (100 S. Merritt Mill Road). There, expect fare by Captain Ponchos Tacos, Parlez-Vous Crepe, Will & Pop’s, Only Burger and Blue Sky Dining, plus tunes by Teru’ah and Brainbow.
Durham writer Diane Daniel’s new book, Farm Fresh North Carolina, catalogs farmers markets, farm stands, u-pick places, orchards, vineyards and more within each county in the state. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Quail Ridge Books (3522 Wade Ave., Raleigh, quailridgebooks.com, 828-1588), Daniel hosts “From Farm to Fork,” a conversation with Scott Crawford, chef at Herons in Cary; Deborah Underwood Brown from High Ground Farm in Duncan; and Tom Kumpf from Double T Farm in Garner. Then at 11 a.m. Saturday, Daniel reads from and signs copies of her book at McIntyre’s Books (2000 Fearrington Village Center, Pittsboro, fearrington.com/village/mcintyres.asp). And at 7 p.m. Tuesday, hear Daniel as part of an “Explore N.C.” presentation and signing at Barnes & Noble in Cary (760 S.E. Maynard Road, bn.com, 467-3866) with Cary-based outdoors and fitness writer Joe Miller, author of Backpacking North Carolina.
For more food reading, pick up a copy of One Big Table: A Portrait of American Cooking by Molly O’Neill, former New York Times Magazine food columnist and host of the PBS series Great Food. O’Neill will sign copies of her book between noon and 3 p.m. Saturday at A Southern Season (University Mall, 201 S. Estes Drive, Chapel Hill, 929-7133, asouthernseason.com).
Know about a fun food happening in the Triangle? Send it to Now Serving at food@indyweek.com.
