Columbus will shake and bake this weekend as the “Rhythm and Food Festival” rolls into Bicentennial Park.The festival features a variety of music and food as well as some unique children’s activities. It was organized by Music in the Air, a program of the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, which organizes presentations of the performing arts and works with the Columbus Blues Alliance to find acts for the festival. The festival traditionally showcases various types of music including ska, blues, zydeco, jazz and swing. Different bands will play on two stages simultaneously, with six nationally known bands being featured along with more than 20 Columbus-based acts. One nationally-known band being featured at the festival, the Squirrel Nut Zippers, contacted Music in the Air in search of festival opportunities in Columbus, said Director Karen Wiser.One of the local acts is the Daniel Kelly Quintet which performs Latin jazz. Kelly said the quintet will feature an electric violin in its songs, some of which are original compositions of Kelly’s, while others are jazz tunes turned into Latin jazz.Kelly, who will be appearing for the third year in a row, said he enjoys performing at the festival because of the energy of the audience.”We always get a great reception from the crowd,” he said.Wiser said 200,000 people are expected to attend the festival. Once called “The Taste of Columbus,” the festival was renamed this year because vendors who used to serve sample sizes will instead be offering whole portions.More than a dozen restaurants will occupy tents along Civic Center Drive on the riverfront offering seafood, ribs and sweets. Some of the restaurants include Bob the Fish Guy, Smokin’ Joe’s Ribs and The Boulevard Grille.Jim Mandas, part-owner of The Boulevard Grille, said the festival provides beneficial community exposure for participating restaurants. The Boulevard Grille, which has participated in the festival since 1992, plans to offer a Cajun ribeye steak sandwich this year, along with past favorites ‹ sweet potato french fries and crab cake sandwiches.Activities for children will be held on Saturday and Sunday. One activity for children is designed to help feed the hungry. Kids can help members of the art staff from Columbus Recreation and Parks to make soup bowls for the Empty Bowls Project, a program designed to benefit the Mid Ohio Food Bank.Another activity for children will feature the science of sports. The Center of Science and Industry (COSI) will set up stations designed to teach children about science by allowing them to participate in physics experiments. The stations include torque demonstrations and a wheelchair dash.The “Rhythm and Food Festival” is scheduled to run Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day. Admission is free but food is not.