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Many of the food festivals that visit National Harbor each year appeal to simple tastes, such as bratwursts, barbecue and seafood.

But the first food festival to ever come to the Oxon Hill resort still caters to upscale tastes in offering visitors a chance to experience fine food and wine. The third annual Food and Wine Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday next to the Potomac River.

The event will play host to celebrity culinary speakers and cooking demonstrations. Some of the celebrities scheduled to appear are Rock Harper, Fox TV's "Hell's Kitchen" winner; John Shields, PBS host of "Coastal Cooking with John Shields;" former White House chef and author Walter Scheib; and Sabrina Soto, HGTV host of "Get it Sold" and "Real Estate Intervention;"

As a food writer with a strong background in the restaurant industry, the event's manager, Lynn Schwartz, is no stranger to good foods and wines. For her the excitement begins long before the festival even kicks off.

"I love what I do because you get to come in contact with so many wonderful and interesting vendors from the smallest goat cheese cultivators to the large chain vendors, there's just so much variety", Schwartz said.

Like years past, Schwartz has assembled a number of locally and nationally known chefs and celebrity personalities, in addition to wine and beer vendors.

"D.C. has become a real food city, so we try to keep the festival at the National Harbor unique from other local festivals by actually incorporating more food than wine", Schwartz said.

More than 100 exhibitors are planning to offer everything from a fresh slice of gourmet goat cheese to that rare vintage from an obscure winery.

The celebrities on hand won't just be signing autographs, either. According to Schwartz, some will be key to the new educational component the festival has added in hopes of having visitors not only sampling great foods, but also learning about food trends and sustainability.

"We want people to leave with more than happy bellies, so this year there's a contest where guests can get an opportunity to cook along with some of the celebrity chefs like Carla Hall, a "Top Chef" finalist," Schwartz said.

This family-friendly event also includes activities for children. "What's Cooking For Kids" will be a zone set up just for the little ones, featuring exhibits and activities designed to get children interested in healthy foods and cooking. There will also be information for parents, offering delicious food ideas for kids. The youngsters can even get their faces covered with fruits and vegetables as face painters have also been added to the mix, as well as a "Decorate Your Chef Hat" activity area.

Schwartz has been pleased with the growth of the festival thus far.

"We just want to keep getting bigger and better until we become a very significant highlight for this region," Schwartz said.

Food and Wine Festival

Saturday and Sunday

Noon to 9 p.m., Saturday: $69 advance, $73 on site for adults 21 and older; $30 for ages 12 to 20; $15 for ages 6 to 11: free for children 5 and under.

Noon to 6 p.m., Sunday: $60 advance, $65 on site for adults 21 and older; $30 for ages 12 to 20; $15 for ages 6 to 11: free for children 5 and under.