Clearly, 2020 and the months that followed were difficult in ways none of us may have imagined. But it did present a number of gifts to our festival team that we were happy to receive, namely: time and perspective.
The gift of time has allowed us to consider what this festival is, and what it can be. We stepped back and asked: what would Charleston Wine + Food look like if we invented it today? We got proximate with hard conversations, leaned into areas where we can do better, and gained new perspectives on processes and procedures, some of which we'll introduce in our 2022 festival planning.
Through this journey of growth and self exploration, one thing has remained constant and that is our why. As we announced our 2022 festival season and ticket launch, we thought this would be a good time to reintroduce ourselves.
Charleston Wine + Food was founded in 2005 by a group of loyal community leaders with a vision of creating an event to promote + elevate Charleston’s culinary brand. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the goal was to put Charleston on the map as a culinary destination and bring national + international attention to the city through the production of a multi-day wine + food festival. Over the last 16 years, the festival has welcomed nearly 335,000 attendees and generated over $112.2 million in economic impact.
Our mission is to celebrate, educate, enrich, and promote the Lowcountry’s diverse culinary + hospitality community through world-class experiences. The annual festival is integral to the organization’s focus. It is a platform to share stories, elevate the people in our culinary community, celebrate our city, and create an enriching experience for the people who live + work here.
As we build our 2022 festival schedule, we’re excited to work hand-in-hand with key stakeholders in our local food + beverage community. These chefs, purveyors, beverage professionals, restaurateurs, and experts are helping to inform programming elements to ensure the festival is by the community and for the community.
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