Our Mission
EAT
The Cooking Caravan is a group of chefs, artists, actors and musicians devoted to enriching health and feeding artistic hunger. Whether it is through food, knowledge, or some much needed musical expression, nourishment is what we provide.
EDUCATE
We feel it is our civic duty and in the artistic nature of our members to inspire and illuminate the minds of tomorrow. Our programs and workshops are age-focused and follow educational standards.
ENTERTAIN
We are artists as well as educators and it is our performance based approach that sets us apart and turns an event into an experience. Hands-on cooking classes, musical workshops and theatrical performances are how we nourish. The question is...what are you hungry for?
Meet the Caravan
John Croke
Artistic Director
John brings his desire to inspire to the stage and the classroom. He has worked professionally at theaters in the Midwest and in the South, and his plays and poetry have been produced and performed in places as far away as London, England.
His roots in the Southwest and Deep South have informed his unique cooking perspective and John’s dishes have won several competitions in the Central Ohio area.
With a BFA from The University of Southern Mississippi and 2 decades of kitchen and classroom experience, John teaches regular cooking classes at Franklinton High School in Columbus, Ohio. His high school cooking class is designed to teach students the basics of cooking and meal planning while also gaining experience and insight into the cooking industry as a profession.
Chuck Johnson
Musical Director
Chuck Johnson is an author and multimedia producer/performer that uses art to teach and inspire his audiences. His decades of experience as a musician and teacher help blur the lines between education and performance...both in Caravan programs and in his own classes.
With a BS in Family Studies from Ohio University, Chuck uses his extensive background in education to create compelling cooking, music, and photography classes for all ages.
His book, Potty Rock, is a hilarious potty-training story song that combines lush art work with a catchy song and video…and is classroom-tested and certified. As a multi-media artist, he has provided photography, music, and video both as freelance work and in collaboration with other musicians and artists. View more of his work at product614.com