Taste of Home magazine will come off the pages and into the Demopolis Civic Center when Taste of Home Cooking School culinary specialist Michelle “Red” Roberts puts on her show on Thursday, June 3, at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets cost $10, and are available through the Demopolis Area Chamber of Commerce, area banks and The Demopolis Times.

“It’s the No. 1 national cooking magazine,” said Chamber president Jennifer Tate. “We are very lucky to have her come to our town. We are expecting a lot of people to turn out, and we will also be selling tickets at the door.

“We have a lot of local vendors who are going to be providing food to the audience, including Napoleon’s, Batter Up, J.C.’s Bar-B-Q, Smokin’ Jack’s, Pepsi, Foster Farms and Domino’s. We also have retail vendors who will have booths, including Mary Kay, Aaron’s, Perfect Touch Home, Alabama Power, Ziggy Zelda, Celebrating Homes and Home Décor.”

Tate added that there will be a lot of door prizes given throughout the evening, and everyone in attendance will receive a gift bag with lots of gifts.

“Nobody will go home empty-handed,” she said.

A native of the South, Roberts is always happy to put on a cooking show in this area of the United States.

“I’m excited about coming to Demopolis!” Roberts said. “I know we’re going to have a good time!

“I have 10 recipes that I’ll be demonstrating, and it will last about two hours or so. Hopefully, it will be filled with humor and fun tips and talking about our national sponsors in the recipes, like Ziploc, the Mushroom Council, Philly Cream Cheese, Velveeta and Jimmy Dean. Basically, it’s a live version of what you would see on the Food Network, but you get to experience all of the aromas.”

The Taste of Home Cooking School is a division of the Taste of Home magazine. Roberts is in her eighth year with Taste of Home.

Roberts, a native of Franklin County, Miss., earned in associate degree in food production from Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson, Miss., and a bachelor of science degree in culinary arts from the Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, Miss.

Roberts also has a theater and performing arts background, which lends itself to her cooking performances in shows she has done throughout Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and the Deep South. She is really excited about her visit to Demopolis because she has family here in town.

“Milton and Patsy Murray are second-cousins of my mother’s, I think!” she said. “They are from where I’m from, and they moved to Demopolis, and have been here for a long time.”

Tate said that the show is possible through the support of several sponsors.

“The Chamber of Commerce is very thankful for all of the sponsors, vendors and anyone who gave door prizes and bag-stuffers,” she said. “Our local businesses really helped us to provide everything that Taste of Home needed.”