Halifax Uncorked Revitalizes Daytona Beach International Festival

Halifax Uncorked, the combination jazz and food festival, is being enjoyed this weekend, hosted by Emmy Award-winner and foodie television personality Ted Allen from Food Network. The unique event features the best in culinary and jazz delights, with gourmet food samplings, fine wines and beer tastings from around the world; culinary demonstrations and conversations with award-winning chefs; and incredible performances by two renowned smooth jazz artists.

Manuel Bornia was hired in June 2008 to oversee the DB Festival's marketing, with the challenge to increase ticket sales and broaden the festival's appeal. He happens to also be the president of the organization that brings the London Symphony Orchestra to town every two years. In a bad economy, Bornia and group sold a record $1.3 million in tickets, and the DB Festival produced this weekend's Halifax Uncorked. They hope to announce soon a spring music festival on the beachside. He hopes to apply the formula he used to invigorate DBIF to the city as a whole. It's not much of a leap; the festival's advertising campaign -- "Experience the music. Rediscover the destination." -- was geared toward re-branding the Daytona Beach area as a cultural destination.

"I firmly believe culture is a wonderful way to attract tourism to a community," he said. "I don't just mean the arts. The culture of our community goes beyond what's happening at Peabody or the News-Journal Center or the Ocean Center. We have a fabulous culture here and motor sports is a part of it. The Boardwalk is a part of it. Jackie Robinson Ballpark is a part of it. That is our culture in Daytona Beach, and those are the things we promoted." He recently volunteered to head a task force that seeks to develop a unified marketing plan for the city's disparate redevelopment areas.

Details for Halifax Uncorked:

WHEN: Saturday-Sunday afternoon
WHAT: Culinary experience with Food Network's Ted Allen
Saturday, 8 p.m.: Saxophonist Richard Elliot
Sunday, 7 p.m.: Guitarist Earl Klugh
TICKETS: Visit dbif.com or call 386-226-1927

Featured restaurants include:
Azure – The Shores Resort & Spa
Blue at Topaz
Café 101 at Daytona State College
Caffe Capri Ristorante
Cress
Grille at Riverview
Ivy Lane Bistro
Karlings
Kob Jai
The Lime Restaurant
Ormond Wine Co.
So Napa Wine Company
Spanish River Grill

Halifax Uncorked will include an array of live audience demonstrations and food and wine programming, presented in collaboration with Daytona State College’s well-respected Culinary Institute. An entire theater will be converted into an interactive television studio kitchen where Allen will host “Culinary Conversations” a fun and off-the-cuff educational series, the 2009 Top Restaurant Awards as well as work with guest chefs in a series of presentations and demos. Each evening will conclude with an incredible live musical performance. Smooth jazz icon, saxophonist Richard Elliott, known for his classic hit “When a Man Loves a Woman,” will perform on Nov. 21. Twelve-time GRAMMY nominee and winner, guitarist Earl Klugh will soothe audiences with his jazz fusion on November 22.

Come enjoy our lifestyle. Contact me for a Relocation Package for Daytona Beach.

Sherry Armstrong, Realtor
yourkeytothebeach@gmail.com
386-679-3191
www.daytonabeachflhome.com

(resource: News-journalonline and ZipScene)