Food Network star to kick off Family Table restaurant week

The City of Fredericksburg’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism and Parks and Recreation and Public Facilities are pleased to announce the first, annual Family Table event planned for Aug. 6 through 14, 2011.  The Family Table‘s message will be choosing locally grown food, promoting healthy, family eating habits and highlighting the myriad of city dining options. 

This Saturday's kick-off will include an expanded farmer’s market at Hurkamp Park with additional interactive displays from the Cobblestone Children’s Museum and a vegetable and fruit carving demonstration by James Parker of Veggy Art. There will also be a moon bounce, Maranatha Alpacas, children's art activities, cooking demonstrations and an heirloom tomato tasting.  

In the afternoon, The Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center is working with Fredericksburg Parent Magazine, www.doctoryum.com and other local farmers and foodies to put on a historical food market in Market Square.  Planned events include canning demonstrations, a children’s food passport program, and food science programming like making butter and cheese. 

This day of exciting and healthy programming will be the start of a family-friendly restaurant week.  Participating restaurants will feature special kid’s meals nightly from 5-6:30pm where kids 11 and under ‘pay their age’ for their meal and a ‘two for twenty’ adult menu where diners can select two courses for only twenty dollars.     

The day long festival is free to the general public.