The Raleigh Convention Center will play host to the 26^th  Annual International Festival of Raleigh September 30 – October 2, 2011.  The festival is a 3-day celebration of music, food and culture from around the globe. In  addition to more than 30 dance routines performed on the main stage to cultural exhibits and shopping at the world bazaar, there will also be cooking demonstrations and a number of sidewalk cafes offering tasty treats from a variety of world cuisines. And bring your kids to Sophia’s Corner for face-painting, storytelling, games and other fun activities.

Tickets for adults at the door are $5.00 for Friday’s festivities and $7.00 on Saturday and Sunday. Kids and seniors get discounts. Click here for complete ticketing information.

Some of the countries included in the cooking demos are Portugal, India, Mexico, Korea, Lebanon, Mali, Iran, Turkey and Spain, to name just a handful. For more information, go to: www.internationalfestival.org.

I am hoping to go to the festival Saturday afternoon – if you would like to meet me, please let me know!

*** Note! I am changing “Tip of the Week” to “Tip of the Month” starting in October. This is to accommodate three new blog categories. “Cocktail of the Month” and “Food of the Month” are self-explanatory. “My Kitchen Remodel” will highlight the ins and outs of my upcoming major kitchen redo! I’m talking about knocking down a wall, switching to gas and adding new floors, cabinets, appliances, counters, lights – you get the idea. So please stay tuned – it should be interesting!

Eat, drink and be merry!