Everything You Need to Know about the 2019 Atlanta Food & Wine Festival
ATLANTA – The 9th annual Atlanta Food & Wine Festival returns to this weekend, bringing together more than 200 chefs, sommeliers, mixologists, and pit-masters from Texas to the D.C. to serve up the South’s best food and drink. In order to ensure you get the most out of the fun-filled weekend, we’ve put together a handy guide to navigating the Festival. The weekend offers three distinct activities, designed to bring the Festival-goer closer to knowledge, delight, and a full belly: Learning Experiences – This year’s Festival is filled with memorable learning opportunities, which all take place at the Loews Atlanta Hotel in Midtown. The Festival’s Learning Experiences allow guests to educate themselves on a specific topic, while the Master Studios dig even deeper into Southern roots. The following color system will be in place Festival weekend to help guests attend classes that are still available. Please pay attention to the flags stationed outside each classroom to know if the class is at capacity or has open seats:
Red – When a red flag is positioned outside a classroom, that class is sold out and cannot seat anymore guests.
Yellow – When a yellow flag is positioned outside a classroom, that class is almost at capacity and can potentially fit a few more guests.
Green – When a green flag is positioned outside a classroom, that class has available seating. Feel free to join in on the fun!
Tasting Tents presented by PNC – Expanding to a new home in Historic Fourth Ward Park this year, the Tasting Tent ticket is unlike any other festival offering - giving guests access to an all-you-can-eat-drink-and-indulge experience from the region’s top chefs and purveyors. The sprawling park is an ideal backdrop to the delicious themes, live music and interactive experiences available throughout the Tasting Tents. The 2019 Tasting Tents are scheduled in the evening this year from 7:30 – 10:30 pm Friday, 6:00 – 9:00 pm Saturday, and 1:30 – 4:30 pm Sunday. Dinners & Events – Delicious kick-off events, intimate chef dinners, and Sunday brunch make up the rest of the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival weekend. Entertaining and delicious, the Festival’s dinners and events continue to take guests deep into the food and drink traditions of the South. GENERAL EVENT SCHEDULE: Thursday, May 30: Stars Atlanta, Powerful & Delicious, and Destination Delicious presented by The Local Palate Friday, May 31: Friday Lunch: Summer Sizzle!, Learning Experiences, Master Studios, Tasting Tents, Evening Dinners & Events Saturday, June 1: Learning Experiences, Tasting Tents, Evening Dinners & Events Sunday, June 2: Sunday Brunch: Great Southern Bake Sale and Tasting Tents WELCOME CENTER: The Welcome Center is located at the Loews Atlanta Midtown on the 14th floor (C Level) in Chastain Room. Guests who purchase Day or Weekend passes may pick up their credentials at the Festival Welcome Center beginning Thursday, May 30. Guests who purchase Tasting Tent tickets may bring their printed Big Tickets confirmation directly to the Tasting Tents. Guests who purchase tickets to a Dinner or Event will be on the “will call” list at the event venue. A photo ID is required to pick up tickets. Welcome Center Hours: Thursday, May 30 11:30am – 6:30pm Friday, May 31 11:30am – 6:30pm Saturday, June 1 9:00am – 6:00pm Sunday, June 2 10:00am – 2:00pm To purchase tickets, visit www.atlfoodandwinefestival.com. Tickets may also be purchased on-site at the Welcome Center beginning today. Below are the tickets currently available: • Friday Day Pass • Saturday Day Pass (limited) • Friday, Saturday or Sunday Tasting Tents • 2-Day Pass (Friday + Saturday) • Weekend Pass (Thursday – Sunday) • Select Dinners and Evening Events • Connoisseur Pass
21 AND OVER EVENT:
Guests must be 21-years or older to enter an AF&WF event. All attendees must bring a valid ID, including the Tasting Tents. Children, even the Founders’ children, are not allowed. Absolutely no exceptions. ATTIRE: There is no enforced dress code; however, we do ask you to dress in keeping with the nature of the event. Shorts and t-shirts are not considered appropriate attire for evening events. Please also note that some events such as the Tasting Tents are outdoors. Please check the weather and dress appropriately. Please wear shoes you are comfortable walking in and for grassy areas. CREDENTIALS: Guests are required to wear their credentials and/or event wristbands. Credentials must be picked up at the Welcome Center and will not be replaced if lost or stolen. FESTIVAL PROGRAM & MAP: You can pick up a Festival Program at the Welcome Center. You can also access the Festival map atwww.atlfoodandwinefestival.com/experiences/tasting/. HANDICAP ACCESS: The Festival team has worked to provide an easy and enjoyable experience for every patron. Handicap parking is available in surrounding pay and private lots at the Festival site. Elevators are located in the Loews Atlanta Midtown for easy accessibility to the 14th Floor. Tasting Tents are handicap accessible. HYDRATION STATIONS: Water stations will be set up throughout the Festival Tasting Tents. Outside water, drinks and food are not permitted inside the Tasting Tents. ITEMS ALLOWED: Small handbags are permitted but will be subject to search upon entry to Festival events and classes. Non-professional recording or point and shoot photography equipment will be allowed. ITEMS NOT ALLOWED: For the convenience and safety of all Festival guests, the following items are not permitted – chairs, musical instruments, laser pointers, walkie-talkies, coolers, grills, picnic baskets, outside food and drink, professional camera equipment and recording devices, cameras with detachable lenses or video capabilities, roller skates/blades, bikes, scooters, skateboards, pets, weapons of any kind, fireworks or explosives of any kind, illegal or illicit substances of any kind (paraphernalia), bags larger than 16" x 16" x 8" (permitted bags subject to search), glass containers, metal aerosol cans including sunscreen, carts, tents, unauthorized/unlicensed vendors or unauthorized solicitations, handbills, sampling, giveaways etc. Outside alcoholic beverages are not allowed in the Festival due to the Fulton County and Atlanta City ordinances. NEIGHBORS: We love our Festival neighbors. We are moving in for the weekend and want them to feel the same about us. PLEASE be respectful of them and their property at all times during the Festival. While a portion of Historic Fourth Ward Park will be closed during the Festival, access to the Beltline will still be available. PARKING FOR HOTEL/LEARNING EXPERIENCES: Parking is available throughout Midtown at the following locations:
11th & Juniper Street. Enter off 11th Street.
Loews Atlanta Hotel Self-Parking (11th & Peachtree Street). Enter off 11th Street.
Guests are also strongly encouraged to take MARTA or a rideshare service to the Festival. The nearest MARTA stations are Midtown and Arts Center. Please visit www.itsmarta.com to plan your trip. If using a rideshare service, please instruct drivers to drop-off and pick-up at the North Ave entrance of Historic Fourth Ward Park. Scooters and bikes are not permitted inside the Tasting Tents. PETS: We love pets! However, we ask you to leave your pets at home. This is not only for the convenience of our patrons, but also for the well-being of your pets. No pets will be permitted into the Tasting Tents. PHOTOGRAPHY & FESTIVAL VIDEO: The Festival will have official still photography and video crews on site all weekend long. Should you need any type of photography, please do let us know at media check-in. We will do our best to accommodate all requests in a timely fashion. SHUTTLE: A third party shuttle pass is available for purchase. It will run from the Loews Atlanta Midtown to the Tasting Tents. One-way or round trip tickets can be purchased ahead of time or onsite. SMOKING: Smoking onsite is NOT permitted at the Loews Atlanta Midtown, Tasting Tents or any of the Festival’s Dinner and Events. SOCIAL MEDIA: The Festival is excited and proud of the active following it has through social media outlets. Our main community will engage through the following portals:
Festival website: www.atlfoodandwinefestival.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AtlantaFoodandWineFestival
Instagram: www.instagram.com/atlfoodandwine
Twitter: www.twitter.com/atlfoodandwine
Hashtag: #AFWF19 and #KnowTheSouth
WEATHER: The Atlanta Food & Wine Festival is a rain or shine event. About Atlanta Food & Wine Festival Launched in 2010, by Atlanta entrepreneurs Elizabeth Feichter and Dominique Love, the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival is a four-day culinary experience dedicated to shining an international spotlight on the rich food and beverage traditions of the South from Texas to the District of Columbia. Feichter, who is no stranger to the food and beverage world, spearheads the day-to-day for the Festival which attracts thousands of attendees annually. With an Advisory Council of 71 award-winning talent from 13 Southern states and the District of Columbia, the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival is one-part conference and one-part party, offering carefully-crafted programs and events to entertain and educate consumers about Southern food and drink. The Festival also celebrates the flavors of other Southern regions around the globe including Southern Europe, South Africa, South America, Southern Hemisphere (Australia and New Zealand) and South-of-the-Border for Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Caribbean. The Atlanta Food & Wine Festival is a member of the IWSC Group North America’s portfolio of events. Atlanta Food & Wine Festival returns to Midtown Atlanta Thursday, May 30 – Sunday, June 2, 2019. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.atlfoodandwinefestival.com. Follow Atlanta Food & Wine Festival onFacebook, Instagram, and Twitter. #KnowTheSouth #AFWF19
