After a pandemic cancellation in 2020, the popular Atlanta Food & Wine Festival returned to the Southern food festival calendar last year, with a few changes to its successful format. Gone were the educational seminars at the Loews Hotel in Midtown Atlanta, but the beloved tasting tents remained at Historic Fourth Ward Park across from Ponce City Market. More casual dining events were added to the schedule, a mix of brunch, lunch and dinners at restaurants spread across town.
That new format seems to have worked well for the festival, because they’re reprising it this year. AF&WF has always been one of my favorite culinary events, showcasing chefs from across the South including many Middle Tennesseans. The tasting tents are the definition of “a marathon, not a sprint,” and I have left defeated many times before making it to every tasting table I wanted to try. Plan your eating and eat your plan!
The festival starts Thursday, Sept. 15, and continues through Sunday, Sept. 18. The tasting tent location is easy to access from the enjoyable BeltLine greenway that connects many of Atlanta’s neighborhoods, or you can always take a rideshare. Details are still coming together for two new signature events which will be held on the Westside at Guardian Works, 775 Echo St. N.W., but here's what we know to expect.
Sliced serves as the opening event for the festival, an homage to pies of all types. Pizza, apple, chicken pot, and more will cover the sweet and savory options from apps to dessert, and there will be plenty of drinks to accompany this all-you-can-eat pie fest.
Cluck’d is described as “a chicken and cocktail soiree” and will be held Friday night, Sept. 16, from 7 to 10 p.m. Fifteen talented chefs will gather to prepare their best yardbird in just about every manner imaginable: fried, barbecued, grilled, braised, baked — you get the picture. There are also some more intimate brunches and dinners planned, but details are forthcoming.
So why am I telling you right now about an event that’s still months away? Because early-bird ticketing is available for just one week, June 23-30, and the savings are pretty substantial for acting now instead of later.
Tasting Tent tickets are now on sale for $75 for general admission and $110 for VIP with an extra hour of early access for either Saturday or Sunday. While $35 might seem a little steep for an extra 60 minutes of gluttony, if you can’t eat and drink your money’s worth during that hour without longer lines in the tents, you’re not trying hard enough! On July 1, the prices jump to $99 and $150, so that’s a decent incentive.
Early-bird tickets for Sliced and Cluck’d are $110, increasing to $125 on July 1. If you're willing to spend an extra $15 after the participating chefs are officially announced, that's fine, but be aware that AF&WF events often sell out.
A portion of the proceeds from the festival will benefit Children of Conservation, a group that feeds underprivileged children in Zambia. All Atlanta Food & Wine Festival events are 21+, so bring your ID. No tickets for the Tasting Tents will be sold at the door — in fact, tents don’t have doors, so don’t dawdle!
