Durham County Library and Durham Library Foundation Present the Second Annual Library Fest: Food Edition

Durham County Library and Durham Library Foundation are hosting the Second Annual Library Fest from April 18 – 23, 2022. Library Fest is a celebration of public libraries, and this year the theme is all about food. Library Fest will be comprised of virtual and in-person programs for all ages. The public can look forward to cooking classes for kids, bilingual programs, a digital history exhibit, STEAM programs, coffee meetups, business programs, and much more.

The celebration will begin on Monday, April 18, at Carolina Theater’s Fletcher Hall with Vivian Howard. Howard is a chef, restaurateur, author, and host of the television series “A Chef’s Life” and “Somewhere South.” Howard’s first cookbook, “Deep Run Roots: Stories & Recipes from My Corner of the South,” is a New York Times bestseller and was named “Cookbook of the Year” by the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

The grand finale on Saturday, April 23, will feature a conversation with Michael Twitty and Mark Anthony Neal. Twitty is a culinary historian, educator, and author of “The Cooking Gene,” and Neal is a James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of African & African American Studies. Twitty is also a winner of the James Beard Foundation Book Award and is known for his interpretations of the experiences of enslaved African Americans through food and its preparation.

In early 2022, Durham County Library held a logo contest for the event. The creator of the winning design is graphic artist and local chef, Anh-Tuan Tran. Tran found the contest a wonderful opportunity to express himself and combine his skills as an artist and chef to create a competitive design. Tran states, “I loved the chance to enter this contest and am inspired even more so now to continue towards new opportunities and this career path!”

If you would like to participate in this year’s Library Fest: The Food Edition, contact Sara S. Stephens, Library Development Officer at sstephens@dcnoc.gov. Thanks in part to our sponsors Durham Library Foundation and The Forest at Duke, all Library Fest events are free and open to the public.

Durham County Library encourages discovery, connects the community, and leads in literacy. As a department of Durham County Government, the Library furthers Goal 1 of the county’s Strategic Plan by enhancing cultural, educational, and creative opportunities. For more information about the Library, visit DurhamCountyLibrary.org.