***POSTPONED TO NOV 15-17, 2020***
Deets: Austin Food and Wine Festival includes food from 50+ top restaurants & chefs, cooking demos with today’s most well-known, nationally-acclaimed chefs, guided tasting sessions from master sommeliers, mixologists, winemakers and brewmasters, and bites hot off the grill at the live Fire Pit, served by experienced pitmasters.
The ninth annual Festival will feature more than 100 chefs, restaurants and wine & spirits experts over three days at Auditorium Shores and Fair Market, including the return of Friday night's Grillin' and Chillin' hands-on, interactive dinner party hosted by chef/festival partner Tim Love (Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Woodshed Smokehouse, Queenie's Steakhouse, Love Shack, White Elephant Saloon, Gemelle); the star-studded Rock Your Taco competition on Saturday night featuring several first-time competitors and James Beard Foundation Award nominees and winners; engaging cooking demonstrations; pitmasters and chefs cooking over interactive Fire Pits; samples of signature dishes from local chefs and restaurants; dynamic wine, beer & cocktail tastings; live music; book signings; and much more.
On Thursday, April 23, Feast Under the Stars, an intimate, outdoor dinner celebration, will once again be hosted at Austin's Auditorium Shores. This meal will be held on Festival grounds before the weekend officially kicks off. The family-style sustainable dinner will be hosted in collaboration with chef Kevin Fink and the Zero Foodprint initiative in support of Austin's Zero Waste program, which aims to reduce 90% of the trash sent to landfills by 2040. Feast Under the Stars will feature a sustainable menu from award-winning chefs Fink(Hestia); Bryce Gilmore (Barley Swine); and Trevor Moran (Locust, Nashville). Feast Under the Stars tickets are $250/per person (inclusive of wine pairings and parking) and must be purchased separately from any Festival tickets at www.austinfoodandwinefestival.com/tickets.
The Festival officially starts on Friday, April 24, with the return of Grillin' and Chillin', Tim Love's ultimate hands-on grilling dinner party hosted at Auditorium Shores. This event offers All-In ticket holders the opportunity to sharpen their skills as they join Love for an interactive and lively night of grilling, drinks and dinner, all underneath the Austin skyline. Grillin' and Chillin' attendees will share a charcoal grill with a partner and prepare their own dinner as Love guides them through the menu while offering tips for how to become a grilling expert. Grillin' and Chillin' is exclusively included with the All-In ticket and will be the only time that the hands-on grilling demo will be offered throughout the weekend.
On Saturday, April 25, and Sunday, April 26, the Festival grounds will come alive with cooking demonstrations, book signings and an interactive area where chefs and pitmasters will cook over live Fire Pits and offer tastes to attendees throughout the weekend. The Fire Pits will showcase live fire cooking expertise from Simon Stallard (The Hidden Hut; Cornwall, UK); John Bates (InterStellar BBQ); Sonya Coté (Eden East, Hillside Farmacy); with more pitmasters and chefs to be announced.
Who You May Spot: Tim Love, Kevin Fink, Bryce Gilmore, Trevor Moran, Simon Stallard, John Bates, Sonya Coté
Hint For The Average Socialite: Tickets can be purchased at www.austinfoodandwinefestival.com/tickets. All attendees must be 21 years of age or older.
