Jamie and Bobby Deen, Food Network personalities and the sons of southern cooking legend Paula Deen, will be the featured attraction at the second annual Taste of the Alleghenies food show in May.
The show is sponsored by The Allegheny Mountains Convent-ion and Visitors Bureau and the Altoona Mirror.
It will be held May 2 and 3 at the Blair County Convention Center and also will feature the popular Taste of Home Cooking School, demonstrations, contests and an exhibit hall with more than 50 vendors, many of them offering samples.
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The Deen Boys will do a cooking demonstration at 3 p.m. May 3, followed by an autograph session. They will also serve as celebrity judges for one of the contests earlier in the day.
The Taste of Home Cooking School will be held at 2 p.m. May 2.
"We had such an amazing turnout last year of vendors and attendees that we really wanted to keep the momentum going," said Ray Eckenrode, Altoona Mirror general manager. "We think the Deen Boys will help us do that, and we're going to get them involved in activities throughout the day."
Two levels of VIP ticket packages will go on sale later this month. The basic VIP ticket will cost $75 and will be good for all show events on both days and feature priority seating for the two signature events. Also, 100 Gourmet VIP packages will be sold for $125, and they include attendance at a private reception with the Deen Boys featuring taste-testing of some of their recipes and beverages.
"We believe tickets will go fast, especially the new ticket which includes an invitation to a private reception with the Deen Boys," said Cheryl Ebersole, executive director of the AMCVB. She added that Chef Dawn Tyson-Silvera will be back for the Taste of Home Show.
The VIP packages will be sold exclusively to attendees at the Heritage Holidays event at the convention center from Nov. 14 to 16 before they go on sale to the general public.
Beginning Nov. 17, tickets can be purchased in person at the Altoona Mirror or AMCVB offices, by phone at 1-800-842-5866 or online at extras.altoona mirror.com/tickets. Tickets for individual events will go on sale early in 2009.
Bobby and Jamie Deen helped their mother launch a lunch delivery service in Savannah, Ga., in 1989 that eventually became a small restaurant and now a large restaurant called The Lady and Sons.
The Deens parlayed their success into a Food Network show called "Road Tasted," featuring their travels around the United States and focusing on regional specialties. They are also the authors of a cookbook, "The Deen Bros. Cookbook, Recipes from the Road."
The Taste of Home Cooking School is a popular event featuring a culinary specialist.
