Banat Brunch program, aimed at the tourist promotion of Timisoara and Arad counties by My Banat Association, is diversifying its summer edition this year with theater and readings for children, rides in vintage cars, in addition to local gastronomy.

'The gastronomic culture events aim to promote local resources and rural heritage by using local gastronomy as a means of attracting the public to the villages. They create economic alternatives for their inhabitants, for the local artisans and small producers through the production of handicrafts or food, and the results are subsequently reflected in the development of tourism in the region and the appreciation of the value of local resources. Gastronomic tourism is currently one of the most dynamic branches of this field and brings to the villages of Banat the chance of revitalization and development,' said Delia Barbu, president of My Banat Association, in a press release.

The first Brunch will take place on Saturday (April 5) in Denta, with wild garlic (Allium ursinum) soup. Local farmers hosted by Ovidiu Marcovici will be preparing fasting dishes and more. Wild garlic soup, nettle soup and dessert with homemade cakes are some of the promises of the event which starts at 11.00 am and will give those present the opportunity to take home traditional local products from the producers' fair set up during the brunch.

A Brunch cu bitigla pe dolma (by bike, on the hill) will take place on May 10, in Secusigiu, Arad county, in the courtyard of the De la Maicuta house. Guests will eat mutton jintita (soft cottage cheese with whey) and croissants with poppy and cumin, followed by walks in Lunca Muresului to pick elderflowers or bike rides on the hills. Those who want to enjoy the sunshine and the peace of the village, have the opportunity to open a story box in the courtyard of the house 'De La Maicuta', hosted by Daniela Falcusan.

Brunch and vintage car rides at Casa Ferch in Deta will follow on May 24. It will be an event on the lawns of the garden, with a roast prepared by hosts Margit and Roman Renner. Throughout the day, tourists can learn about the history and stories of the town on a guided tour, in a vintage car.

Brunch and theater at the 'Trandafiri de Curtea' will end the tour on June 14 in a rose-filled setting. For this occasion, the Basque Theater is staging '(Up)rooting', a play 'about where we came from, where we have come to, who we were, who we are, who we want to be and where we are heading. About how we understand to connect or reconnect with a place that many of us have forgotten, from which most of us draw their roots and where they were surely born'. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Otilia Halunga; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)