Atlanta Food & Wine Festival. June 2-5. Various ticket packages available. Events at several locations in Midtown Atlanta. 404-474-7330, atlfoodandwinefestival.com.
Food and drink lovers are gearing up for the ultimate Southern culinary weekend: the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival, taking place June 2-5.
This year’s fest promises to be bigger and better, as more than 250 chefs, sommeliers, mixologists, pitmasters and artisans from Texas to the District of Columbia gather at various venues in Midtown. They’ll be showcasing their talent and guiding festivalgoers through tastings, classes, dinners and more to celebrate the food and beverage traditions of the South.
The festival, now in its sixth year, offers a food-filled weekend to please any palate. At the popular tasting tents, an all-you-can-eat layout allows festivalgoers the opportunity to indulge in bites and beverages from some of the region’s best chefs, mixologists and artisan food producers.
The tasting tents also offer interactive elements, like a pick-your-garnish cocktail garden, farmers market, bourbon-sipping Southern porch party hosted by former Southern Living writer Jennifer V. Cole and live music.
“The tasting tents are the perfect way to step your toe into the weekend,” festival co-founder Dominique Love said.
Tasting tent tickets, which are inclusive of all samples, are available for a Friday evening session as well as afternoon sessions on Saturday and Sunday. This year, the tasting tents will be located in the Greensward area of Piedmont Park, next to the parking deck accessible off Monroe Drive.
Another highlight of the 2016 festival will be Vineyard in the City, the first-ever pop-up vineyard in the U.S. Nearly four acres of green space along 14th Street, across from the Four Seasons Hotel in Midtown, have been transformed into a lush space filled with trellised grapevines, a wildflower meadow and a variety of shade trees.
The space also holds two bars, a cafe area and two bocce courts. This urban vineyard will serve as a site for the festival’s ticketed master classes, evening events, a Sunday Southern-style brunch and other programs.
Once the fete ends, the space will stay open for community use through June 30, offering live music, free arts programming and other events.
More than 80 classes promise in-depth learning experiences in everything from biscuit-making and bourbon to barbecue and butchery. Classes will range in size from 40 to 150 people and include cooking and cocktail demonstrations, technique laboratories, pairing sessions, tasting seminars and panel discussions that explore old and emerging traditions in the South as well as those from other southern regions around the globe. Classes will be held at the Loews Atlanta Hotel, located at 11th and Peachtree Streets.
A variety of evening parties and dinners will take place throughout the weekend at locations around Atlanta. Among them is Destination Delicious, a kickoff party to be held June 2 at the Stave Room at American Spirit Works, offering guests a taste of the flavors and traditions of Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and more.
Details regarding the schedule and ticket prices can be found at atlfoodandwinefestival.com.
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