You’ve heard the hype – Columbia is hosting its first-ever food + wine festival this year. Columbia Food and Wine, headed up by the Five Points Association and Free Times, was born out of the desire to bring our community together over Columbia’s budding food + bev scene. 🍴🍷 It’s all happening next Sunday, April 15, 12-3 p.m. on Saluda Ave. in Five Points. Tickets ($65-85) are available online. (VIP is already sold out.)
Highlights? There will be 40+ restaurants serving small bites and 19 beverage locations with 48 wines + 11 breweries – and your ticket includes all bites, wines + beers (plus a complimentary souvenir tasting glass). Some of the restaurant stars include COA, Alodia’s, City Limits BBQ, Kiki’s Chicken + Waffles, Mr. Friendly’s, Tazza and The War Mouth. The brewers on-tap include Bierkeller, Cottontown and Hunter-Gatherer. (And it’s a 21+ event, so it’s ~classy.~)
Here’s your Columbia Food and Wine itinerary. 🗺
10:45 a.m. | If you purchased a Sneak Peek or VIP ticket, you should already be making your way down to Five Points. Need to find parking? Meters are free on Sundays citywide, and the festival has also secured parking in the State Parking Garage at 2221 Devine St.
11 a.m. | Get in there, you VIP or Sneak Peek-er you. Head inside the gates + beat the crowds.
11:15 a.m. | Pop over to a ~30 min. meet + greet with Columbia’s famous foodies inside of TWIG – including @ColaTownFoodie, @MessyKitchGirl, @GoCola, @COLAtoday (meet our producer Sam!), @TheAprilBlake and @SodaCitySitesandBites.
12 p.m. | Festival opens to General Admission ticket holders now. Soda City Brass Band is cranking, and the beer and wine are flowing. Are you hungry yet?
12:30 p.m. | Stroll down Restaurant Row, along Saluda Ave., where all the 40+ local restaurants will be serving small bites. See the full list of participating restaurants here.
1 p.m. | Hit up Culinary Corner – located in the former Exxon lot – to learn all about different cooking techniques (think: rolling out pasta, pizza throwing, sausage making) from local chefs, including:
Jason Bruner, 1801 Grille
Joe Cardinale, Ripper’s
Wesley Fulmer, Motor Supply Co. Bistro
Josh Rogerson, Saluda’s
Charley Scruggs, Tallulah
Alex Suaudom du Monde, Baan Sawan
Alex Strickland, Hunter-Gatherer
Todd Woods, The Oak Table
1:30 | Peruse the Farmer & Artisan Alley, next to Culinary Corner, where a handful of local farmers + artisans will be showcasing their products. Here’s your chance to grab a souvenir.
2 p.m. | Pop into some of the local businesses on Saluda, most of which will be open + hosting special festival elements throughout the day – like a pop-up Lamb’s Bread vegan stand at Loose Lucy’s; liquor tasting with Motor Supply inside of Bohemian; liquor tasting with Ristorante Divino inside of Good for the Sole Shoes; and wine seminars inside of TWIG by Petal with Sommelier Erlinda Alexandra Doherty + 1801 Grill.
2:30 p.m. | Can’t leave without a pic. Document your day against one of the festival selfie walls (we hear there might be a floral wall 🙌).
Want to get the party started extra-early?
Saluda’s Restaurant is hosting the official kick-off dinner to the inaugural Columbia Food and Wine Festival on Saturday, April 14 at 6:30 p.m. ($90). The intimate dinner will feature cocktails, hors d’oeuvres + a five-course meal; each prepared by a participating local chef or mixologist:
- Cocktail: COA Agaveria & Cocina
- Hors D’oeuvres: Cantina 76, Chef David Grillo
- Appetizer: Goat’s, Chef Orlando “Opie” Patterson
- Salad: Spotted Salamander Catering, Chef Jessica Shillato; presentation by Freshly Grown Farms
- Fish: Tallulah, Chef Russell Jones II
- Protein: Saluda’s Restaurant, Chef Josh Rogerson
- Dessert: Ally and Eloise Bakeshop, Chef Aleka Selig
What are you most looking forward to? See you out there on Sunday – don’t forget your tix.
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