Before Jasmine Stewart of Milton was crowned "MasterChef Junior" on the Fox reality show this spring, she had the celebrity judges swooning.
"You made this in an hour?" gasped chef Gordon Ramsay, usually known for yelling at people on culinary reality shows, after sampling Jasmine's Mediterranean lamb dish with herb couscous, olive puree and pickled bell peppers. "It is absolutely phenomenal."
Celebrity judge Martha Stewart said she wanted the recipe for Jasmine's delicious sticky rum cake with pineapple chips. Prominent pastry chef Christina Tosi said a shop selling only that one item would do a brisk business.
So you definitely want to mark Sept. 23 on your calendar. Jasmine will appear at Family Day/Culture Fest in Atlanta's Sweet Auburn District. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at and around the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, 450 Auburn Ave. NE.
Highlights of the festival include the screening of the trailer for "Maynard," the upcoming documentary about the late Mayor Maynard Jackson Jr. directed by Sam Pollard.
Producers Maynard Jackson III and his wife, Wendy Eley Jackson, will be on hand to discuss the film from 1 to 1:30 p.m. at the King Center.
MORE: Our visit to the set of "Maynard," during its filming in Atlanta
Entertainment includes percussion ensemble Giwayen Mata, reggae band SolRizings, the PanSonics Steel Band and performers from Dare/Dance/Dream studio.
Storytellers will guide visitors during tours of Sweet Auburn residences. Be sure you make time to hear from lifelong resident Helene Mills, and the Martin Luther King Jr. birth home and Ebenezer Baptist Church Heritage Sanctuary will be open for touring. The National Park Service will offer children the opportunity to complete activities to become Junior Park Rangers.
"Visitors from across the country and the world are invited to spend a day of fun, educational, enriching and participatory experiences," National Park Service Superintendent Judy Forte said in a statement.
The festival is a joint venture of the National Black Arts Festival, National Park Service, Historic District Development Corporation and Sweet Auburn Works, and sponsored by Georgia Pacific. Admission is free.
For information about Sweet Auburn Works, visit www.sweetauburnworks.com, or contact Elijah Watkins at 470-240-4909. To find out more about the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, visit www.nps.gov/malu or contact Rebecca Karcher at 404-331-5190 – Ext 5046. For information about the National Black Arts Festival, please contact Judy Hanenkrat at jhanenrkat@nbaf.org or call 404.372.4572
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