As the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival enters its 14th year, it has expanded its footprint to accommodate for a growing number of attendees.
The festival returns this year Sept. 11-14 and will move from its former home in Old Fourth Ward to the Home Depot Backyard, 11 acres of greenspace just north of Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Also new this year is a fourth day of tasting tents to allow for maximum food and drink sampling.
Miami-based experiential agency A21 took over the Atlanta Food and Wine Festival in 2020. A21 runs numerous food and beverage festivals around the country, including in destinations like Palm Beach, New York, Puerto Rico and Martha’s Vineyard.
After A21 took over Atlanta’s festival, vice president of marketing and communications Abby Geha said it turned its attention to showcasing food from the region, not just Atlanta. It also incorporated more exclusive dinners and a cooking demonstration stage, she said.
The festival’s mission is to demonstrate “how all of the connective roots of the South came together to really celebrate the heritage of Atlanta,” Geha said.
Credit: Courtesy of Rafterman Photography
Credit: Courtesy of Rafterman Photography
After last year’s festival attracted more than 9,500 guests in three days, A21 realized it needed to grow its footprint with a larger space. This year, Geha said they expect several thousand attendees each day.
The September weekend will highlight local and regional chefs at the tasting tents as well as three celebrity chefs headlining events.
Andrew Zimmern will host the Whiskey & Fire event on Saturday where Atlanta chefs compete for the title of Heritage Hero by pairing their creations with whiskeys from around the globe. Zimmern will also be doing a cooking demonstration on the Publix Demo Stage Friday.
Marcus Samuelsson will host an intimate dinner with executive chef Gary Caldwell at his Old Fourth Ward restaurant Marcus Bar & Grille, and on Sunday he’ll be at one of the tasting tents.
Scott Conant will also host an intimate dinner with chef Pat Pascarella at the Americano on Thursday, and he’ll attend the tasting tents Friday to Sunday and perform a cooking demonstration on Saturday.
In addition to Conant and Samuelsson’s dinners, Forth Hotel chefs Jonathan McDowell, Carelys Vazquez and John Adamson will hold a dinner Friday evening at Il Premio, and Auburn Angel will host the New South Dinner on Thursday, a chef collective that brings together Atlanta’s “most respected Black chefs” to curate a menu, according to the website.
The New South Dinner will feature chefs including Demetrius Brown of Bread & Butterfly, Robert Butts of Auburn Angel, Rodney Smith of SouthernChild Supper Club, Carlos Granderson of Southern National and private chef Christan Willis.
The tasting tents Thursday to Sunday will feature a lineup of more than 50 chefs and over 40 beverage purveyors each day, Geha said.
The festival’s theme this year is “States of Motion” in honor of primary sponsor Invesco QQQ. It encourages chefs to consider what innovation means in the food and beverage world, Geha said.
For chefs, the food and wine festival offers an opportunity to get creative with new menu items and interact with the community, said catering chef Shawn Osbey, who will be offering his food in the tasting tents this year.
Osbey is based in Atlanta but travels often for his catering job, and while he’s participated in festivals in other states and countries, this is his first time as a featured chef in the Atlanta food festival. He said he is excited to interact with local diners and gain exposure in this market.
Credit: Courtesy of Rafterman Photography
Credit: Courtesy of Rafterman Photography
He’ll be at a tasting tent all four days offering sliders with homemade pickles, red wine onions and cheddar cheese made in Georgia.
“I think that’s what makes Atlanta so amazing,” Geha said. “We have some great national talent, but it really is putting our roots down and celebrating the chefs within the region.”
As in previous years, tickets to the tasting tents are all-inclusive of food and beverages.
If You Go
Atlanta Food and Wine Festival. Sept. 11-14. Multiple times. $99-$329 per person. 1 Backyard Way, Atlanta. atlfoodandwinefestival.com
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