The culinary calendar is pretty jam-packed for the next month or so. In fact, there’s so much info to share about upcoming event that I’ve decided to split the news up into charity events and plain old for-profit opportunities to enjoy some great food. Open your calendar on your phone and get ready to click on that plus sign in the upper corner.
The first charitable soiree to share is the seventh annual Italian Lights Festival, put on by St. Piux X Academy. Combining elements of two favorite festivals of yore, Summer Lights and the Italian Street Fair, this festival was held on the school’s campus north of downtown for the past six years before moving to Bicentennial Mall for 2016.
The family-friendly event kicks off Friday, Sept. 9 at noon and runs until Sunday, Sept. 11 for three days of music, food and arts. The festival is free to attend, but VIP tickets are available starting at $35 for an upgraded experience, including complimentary wine and beverages as well as gourmet appetizers, plus a relaxing retreat inside the VIP Lounge throughout the weekend. Tickets are limited and can be purchased at ItalianLights.org.
Highlights of the weekend’s activities include wine tastings, bocce ball, dance lessons, a Kids Zone, arts and crafts, the annual meatball eating contest and more. Free live music performances are scheduled all weekend, including a tribute to the music of Frank Sinatra and the Big Band era on Friday night. On Saturday evening Italian-trained tenor Nathan Pacheco, best-known for his stirring performance of “Nessun Dorma” with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, will return to entertain the crowds. If you want to avoid the lines, go ahead and preregister at the website above.
There will also be a special four-course candlelit dinner on the festival piazza in Bicentennial Mall on both Friday and Saturday nights beginning at 7 p.m. before the musical performances start at 8. Tickets are available for $95 per person, and include complimentary wine with a front-row seat to the concert of your choice. A new event at the festival this year will be the Sienna Champagne Brunch at 11 a.m. on Sunday. Tickets start at $55, and the menu is suitable for both adults and children, so bring the whole family.
Proceeds from the dinners, brunch and other festival events will benefit the Nashville Hospitality Association’s ProStart Program, which provides funding and college scholarships for high school students entering the hospitality industry. ProStart also funds education/training programs in Tennessee high schools focused on the art of cooking, restaurant management and guidance programs for the culinary industry. In the past six years, Italian Lights has developed into the Italian festival of Nashville, raising more than $160,000 for local charities in the process.
Festival hours of operation:
Friday — noon to 10 p.m.
Saturday — 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday — 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Next on the calendar is the first Little Big Chefs event, a popular fundraiser developed in Charleston that is coming to Nashville for the first time on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at City House. You read that correctly. You’ll actually be able to eat at City House on a Tuesday night!
The event is presented by Louie’s Kids, a national nonprofit treating childhood obesity through promotion of healthier and more productive lifestyles. Tandy Wilson will, of course, be the host chef along with co-host Matt Bolus of The 404 Kitchen, City House’s pastry chef Rebekah Turshen and Michael Martin with Whole Foods Market Franklin.
Here’s how the official invitation describes the event:
"Over the past several months, each of the chefs have been working with their assigned 'Little Chef' in their kitchens as the youngsters learn to prepare and serve local food while emphasizing healthy cooking and quality ingredients. The end result is a four-course dinner showcasing the collaboration between Little and Big Chef.
“ 'When I contacted Tandy, way before he won the Beard Award, he quickly said, "Dude, I’m in," ' said Charleston-based Louis Yuhasz, Little Chef Big Chef organizer and the founder of Louie’s Kids, 'Tandy and his wife and family live the healthy lifestyle, so he can relate to what we’re doing [with Louie’s Kids]. And he’s such an unassuming, humble guy. This is a unique opportunity to meet the kids, who have spent some of their summer with the best chefs in Nashville, and to meet the chefs as well,' Yuhasz said. 'And all the money will stay in Nashville, which is important.' ”
Proceeds from Little Chef Big Chef will benefit The Louis S. Yuhasz Jr. Memorial Health Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, which in turn has supported organizations such as the Edgehill Bike Club, a Nashville nonprofit that combines refurbishing of bikes with the mentoring of at-risk youth about healthy and positive activities.
Tickets are $100 per person, which includes dinner with drink pairings, tax and gratuity. To purchase tickets, please call the restaurant at 615-736- 5838. Tickets are limited and are expected to sell out quickly.
Update: according to organizers, "Due to unforeseen circumstances we have had to postpone our Unearthing Nashville event. We will be setting our new date soon. Thank you for all of your continued support and if you would like to donate, you can from our website www.oldschoolfarm.org."
An event called Unearthing Nashville is coming to Old School Farm on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 5:30 p.m. The family-style farm dinner will benefit Old School Farm, a local nonprofit dedicated to producing quality farm-to-table food while providing employment and job training for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
The meal will be prepared by the chefs at The Old School Farm to Table, including executive chef Brittany Kane, as well as chef Andrea Leray. The team will use produce grown on site at Old School Farm, which is nestled in Nashville’s Bells Bend, as well as ingredients from Six Boots Growers' Collective, Bell Bend Farm and KLD Farm LLC.
Tickets are $200 per person, all inclusive. For reservations or more information, contact 615-945-3114 or natalie@theoldschoolnashville.com.
The Ring the Bell Dinner also benefits a Bells Bend farm program; in this case the proceeds will be used to strengthen local agriculture in Bells Bend and to promote the protection of Nashville's last remaining farmland, including funding for conservation easements and programs that promote farm education, environmental stewardship and the importance of land preservation.
To help promote the valuable asset that is the Bells Bend area, the Beaman Park to Bells Bend Conservation Corridor organization will host its second annual farm-to-table fundraiser on Sunday, Oct. 9. Rolf and Daughters chef Philip Krajeck will prepare the food onsite with food sourced directly from Bells Bend, and it will be accompanied with wine pairings from Husk restaurant sommelier, Nicolette Anctil, so you can bet it will be a fantastic experience. Yazoo Brewery will also be tapping the first keg of Preservation Ale of the season at the dinner.
The Ring the Bell dinner will be held on Oct. 9 from 4:30 to 10 p.m., with Oct. 16 as a backup date for inclement weather. There will also be a silent auction that closes at 9 p.m. Tickets are $200 and are available to purchase on the event website. Contact board member and Ring the Bell co-chair Dave Keiser at 615-668-3728 or bp2bbcc@gmail.com for more information.
The last event that should be noted on your calendar is our own Music City Bacon and Barrel Festival, brought to you by SouthComm, US Foods, George Dickel, Blackstone and other generous sponsors who want to help benefit Hands on Nashville. This year's Bacon and Barrel will be held at the Nashville Farmers' Market on Friday, Sept. 30 from 7 to 10 pm. Your $39 ticket will entitle you to bacony tastings from 25 of Nashville’s best restaurants plus a vast array of spirits. Attendees will receive tickets entitling them to 15 spirits samples (helloooo, Uber!), and a cash bar will be available if you need more beyond that.
Here's a list of the participating restaurants and distilleries:
Participating restaurants:
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
Lana's Copper Kettle Nashville
BB King's Blues Club Nashville
Commerce Street Grille at Renaissance Hotel
Participating distilleries:
George Dickel Tennessee Whisky
