September’s Music City Food + Wine Festival Highlights Nashville’s Culinary Appeal

Pictured (L-R): Jonathan Waxman, Ken Levitan, Andy Mendelsohn, Charlie Jones, Levon Wallace, Nathan Followill, Caleb Followill. Photo: Don VanCleave

Grammy-winners Kings of Leon, James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef Jonathan Waxman, Vector Management’s Ken Levitan and Andy Mendelsohn, and C3 Presents announced the fifth annual Music City Food + Wine Festival at a private event yesterday (May 10) at Levon Wallace‘s newly opened Gray & Dudley, inside the 21c Museum Hotel—open 24/7 with eight floors for 124 rooms and a 10,000 sq. ft. art space.

To be held September 15 – 17, 2017, the festival will offer a musical tribute with award-winning steel pedal guitarist Robert Randolph in addition to an expanded program, including the return of Pappy Hour, the addition of a Friday Night Grand Taste Pavilion in leu of Sunday’s Grand Taste, which will now be a Gospel Brunch at the Walk of Fame Park, again with Gayle Mayes.

“Nashville’s reputation as a destination for music lovers is fast being challenged by our status as a premier foodie destination in the Southeast,” says Mayor Megan Barry. “The Music City Food + Wine Festival will highlight some of our amazing chefs and restaurateurs who are defining Southern cuisine and showing that Nashville is the place to be for talented and creative individuals looking to show off their skills.”

Music City Food + Wine Festival brings together stars of Nashville’s culinary scene with acclaimed regional and national chefs, wine and spirits experts.

Festival programming will add the Grand Taste Pavilion at Bicentennial Capitol State Mall Park on Friday, September 15, from 6 – 10 p.m. Continuing Saturday, September 16 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. with food, wine and cocktail samples from more than 80 local and regional artisans, the Grand Taste Pavilion will also feature interactive cooking demonstrations, panel discussions, book signings, and pitmaster Pat Martin‘s Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint and Friends. Pappy Hour returns for bourbon tasting, led by Preston Van Winkle of Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, great grandson of iconic bourbon maker Julian P. “Pappy” Van Winkle.

Also on Saturday will be the Harvest Night, again held at the Walk of Fame Park (4th Avenue South) from 7-9 p.m., featuring nationally recognized chefs with Randolph’s live musical tribute from 8 – 9:30 p.m.

New for Sunday, September 17 will again be the live Gospel Brunch, but at the Walk of Fame Park. The fabulous Gayle Mayes will close the festival, performing before pared down Southern brunch favorites, cocktails, wine and coffee from local chefs Joshua Simpson (Proper Bagel); Levon Wallace (Gray & Dudley); and Karl Worley (Biscuit Love Brunch), and more.

All-In Tickets are available for $525 per person. Single-day tickets are available for Friday evening ($165 per person) and Saturday afternoon ($165 per person). Saturday evening’s Harvest Night tickets are $275 per person while Gospel Brunch morning access is $85 per person for Sunday.

Tickets opened May 10, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. CT, at musiccityfoodandwinefestival.com/tickets

Guests dine on sliders, hot chicken, cream puffs and chocolate chip cookies from Gray & Dudley with drinks brought in part by Titos. Photo: Don VanCleave

Nashville’s 21c Hotel and Museum. Photo: Eric T. Parker

La Vitrina Cloud Collection from Leandro Erlich (Argentinian) 2011. Photo: Eric T. Parker