Charlotte’s newest food festival will highlight cocktails, wine

“This is nothing like Charlotte has ever seen,” Jon Wilson of WCCB’s Wilson’s World announced to a crowd at Merchant and Trade. As the suspense grew, he asked attendees to watch a two-minute video that unveiled Charlotte’s newest food, wine and cocktail experience, Crave CLT.

The event, which will take place May 6-9 across Charlotte, brings together some of the area’s best chefs all from diverse backgrounds and cooking styles. The week will kick off with a series of intimate dinners and experiences, including a food and cocktail pairing at Zeppelin and a special Southern Italian cooking class at Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen.

The main event of Crave CLT will be the Food and Wine Festival at Romare Bearden Park on May 9 from 1-5 p.m. The new festival will come right on the heels of Charlotte Wine & Food Week, which takes place April 22-25.

“What sets this festival apart from any other Charlotte food festival is that we hand selected a diverse roster of chefs from all across the city to display their culinary skills,” Taylor Kastl, owner of Tayste Catering and chef ambassador for Crave CLT, told CharlotteFive.

“We also get to highlight Charlotte’s growing craft cocktail scene through the mixologists that are participating, as well.”

Participating chefs include Andarrio Johnson of Cuzzo’s Cuisine, Chris Coleman of The Goodyear House, Lisa Brooks of Heart & Soul, Craig Barbour of Roots Catering, Ivan Pereyra of Lincoln Street Kitchen — and the list goes on.

To enter the Food and Wine Fest at Romare Bearden, you will need to purchase a ticket from the festival’s website. General admission tickets are $75 per person and include four hours of food, wine and beer tasting. There is also a VIP option at $100 per person, and these are sold in packs of 10.

With the VIP offering you and your group will have a shaded table with four bottles of wine. You will enter the festival one hour early and have access to a special cocktail sampling led by Zeppelin and Merchant and Trade.

Creators of the event hope to make this one of Charlotte’s premier culinary experiences for years to come. The goal is to grow it year by year and to attract visitors from near and far.

Proceeds from Crave CLT will benefit Rivendell Farms of the Carolinas, which works to help individuals across the Carolinas to enjoy their community through sharing good food, living healthy lifestyles and supporting local farmers.

Crave CLT

Instagram: @crave.clt

This story was originally published February 28, 2020 at 5:30 AM.