DENTON (UNT), Texas -- The University of North Texas’s second annual Food Day celebration will take place on Oct. 24 (Thursday).

The celebration will be a collaboration among UNT Dining Services, the UNT Sustainability, University Libraries and the UNT Fine Arts Series. Food Day is a nationwide celebration and movement for healthy, affordable and sustainable food. The events at UNT this year will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. lunch presented by Chef Patrick Stark, cafeteria at Kerr hall residence hall

Stark, owner of the Dallas catering service The Stark Raving Chef, will serve a special lunch at Kerr Cafeteria. Stark opened the restaurant at the Granada Theater “Sundown at the Granada.” He also appeared on the Food Network show Cutthroat Kitchen. The Food Day menu features “farm-to-table” food, including a local ground beef sloppy joe topped with Gouda and pickled red onions, and a vegan “Sundown Bowl” composed of chipotle black beans, agave sweet potatoes, crushed peanuts and quinoa. Stark will meet with students in the dining room and serve up Mohawk Militia Ice Cream — a vanilla ice cream with cherries, and chunks of dark chocolate — encompasses the colors of Stark’s Mo-Hawk Militia charity. The Kerr Hall cafeteria staff will make the ice cream from scratch.

The meal is open to the public for $6.95. Cash and credit cards are accepted in Kerr Cafeteria.

• 12 - 3 p.m. Farmers Market and Sustainability Fair, at the mall outside Willis library.

The Farmers Market and Sustainability Fair on the mall area outside UNT’s Willis Library will sell produce from local farms including Cardo’s Farm and Denton Backyard Farms, and vegan baked goods, and provide information about earthworm composting. The market will include more than 30 booths with local, artisan foods. From 1:30 to 3 p.m., Patrick Stark’s band Amusé will perform on the library mall.

• 12 -1 p.m. Pumpkin Pie Judging Contest

Three guest judges will taste pies from around the Dallas-Fort Worth area to determine the best tasting pumpkin pie. All entries in the contest will be made from scratch from real pumpkins and no frozen or pre-made pie crust. The categories will include Classic Pumpkin and Not your Grannie's Pie, for pies with nontraditional ingredients such as chocolate or pecans. Participants will pay $10 per pie to enter and must check in at noon on the mall area outside UNT’s Willis Library Mall. Prizes from Natural Grocers will be awarded to the winners. This event will be hosted by the UNT Eco-Reps.

• 3 - 5 p.m.  “The Future of Food” film screening

Screening of the film “The Future of Food” in the Media Library screening room, located in Chilton Hall 111C. Selena Smith, nutritional health coach at Natural Grocers in Denton, will lead a question- and-answer session after the film.

• 6 - 8 p.m. UNT Speaks Out for Food Day, held in the Forum at Willis Library

A panel discussion on current trends in dietary choices and the food supply. The panelists will include:

Stevens Brumbley, UNT associate professor of biological sciences, discussing “GM Food in the 21st Century: How Bad Can It Really Be?” Brumbley will discuss current food issues from a biologist’s perspective. Brumbley conducts research on materials that can be used in renewable bio-products.

Ken Botts, special projects manager for UNT Dining Services, discussing “The Meatless Revolution: A Case Study of the Nation’s First Vegan Dining hall.” Botts will explore the current food trends that made Mean Greens a possibility.

Katie Jarl, Texas state director of the Humane Society, discussing factory farming and shark fishing in “Animal Welfare and the American Diet: From Factory Farms to Shark Finning.” Jarl works to pass animal welfare legislation, coordinates disaster and rescue response for animals in need and engages in animal advocacy to promote animal protection in Texas.

Editor’s note: A headshot of Stark can be downloaded from the UNT Image Gallery at: http://news.unt.edu/image-galleries/image/patrick-stark