Peggy Foote Dark grew up in Ventura in a family of devoted cooks, and following that tradition, eventually founded The Kitchen for Exploring Foods, one of Southern California’s premier catering firms. On Sunday, July 11 at 3:00 pm, Dark comes to the Museum of Ventura County’s new event pavilion on Main Street to sign the book “Fabulous Parties: Food and Flowers for Elegant Entertaining,” which she wrote with florists Mark Held and Richard David of Mark’s Garden. Along with food tasting, the event includes Dark’s discussion about the book, which adapts the principals of planning lavish large events to the more intimate scale and budget of home entertaining. She also plans to talk about how her career was influenced by her family and her hometown of Ventura.

Attendance is $15 for the general public, $10 for museum members. Call 805-653-0323 x 10 to make reservations. The event is being held in the Museum of Ventura County’s newly constructed Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Pavilion, part of the museum’s renovated 100 East Main Street location in Ventura.

Peggy Foot Dark, a graduate of the University of California Santa Barbara, co-founded The Kitchen for Exploring Foods in Pasadena in 1984, a catering and gourmet take-out business with a devoted Southern California following. Mark Held and Richard David are the owners of Mark’s Garden in Los Angeles, recognized in 1999 by the London Financial Times as one of the outstanding florists in the world.

On July 3, the Museum of Ventura County returns to its renovated facility at 100 East Main Street, Ventura, with a free admission celebration on the 4th of July. Go to www.venturamuseum.org for more information.