Asheville Wine and Food Festival - Craft Cocktails, Decadent Desserts and Samplings of Asheville's Best Foods

August 20 - 22, 2015   The Asheville Wine and Food Festival for 2015  will be held in various locations with the main events on Saturday at the US Cellular Civic Center in downtown Asheville NC. Now in its 7th year the Festival celebrates both the elegant and the artisan culinary offerings from the variety of restaurants and chefs which make the mountains a true "foodie" destination.

The festival begins with "Elixir", a craft cocktail experience and mixology competition. Amuse and Essence are what's trending now. Skilled bartenders mix the spirits from both local and national distilleries to present their most creative offerings. Attendees will enjoy an amuse bouche along with the theater of the mixology while the competition is concluded and the most creative cocktail is determined.  Elixir takes place from 6:00 - 8:00 PM at the MHCC Event Center.

"Sweet" is a decadent evening of desserts, champagne, wine, spirits and shopping. Begin the second evening of the Festival with dinner at one of Asheville's excellent independent restaurants, but save room for those special "Sweets". From 8 PM to 10 PM participants collect at the historic Grove Arcade, am architectural wonder,  in downtown Asheville where local bakers, chocolatiers, pâtissiers, wine vendors, brewers and distillers will line the corridors of the Arcade. Shops of the Arcade will be open late for browsing and buying in between indulging in the sumptuous fair that is "Sweet".

The final day of the Festival at the Civic Center includes The Grand Tasting, offering a delicious celebration and sampling of a wide variety of Asheville's food and beverages. VIP ticket holders are allowed early admittance at 1 PM catered by Whole Foods and Wines by Biltmore. VIPs also are treated to special events and a their own seating area to enjoy the show along with access to all the vendors/Exhibitors, hundreds of wines, and dozens of breweries, distilleries, restaurants and food producers.

General admission tickets holders begin at 2 PM  with access to all the vendors/Exhibitors, hundreds of wines, and dozens of breweries, distilleries, restaurants and food producers. Enjoy the many sessions of Blind Wine Tastings, Culinary Demonstrations, Mixology Demonstrations and meet Culinary Cookbook authors.

3:00 - 4:30 PM - The Asheville Scene Chefs Challenge includes 4 chefs, 1 hour and a secret ingredient. The Challenge is the conclusion of an iron chef style competition in which over a dozen of the region’s finest chefs fought to the finish to earn the right to compete at the Asheville Wine and Food Festival finals. 

Additional scheduled events:
1:00 - 4:30    Festival Wine Competition
1:00-2:30     Culinary Demonstrations
1:30 - 3:00   Malaprops Culinary Authors Book Signing
2:00 - 4:15    Mixology Demonstrations
1:15 & 3:00  Blind Wine Tasting Event   2 Sessions with Limited Seating
2:15 PM       Blind Beer Tasting Event   1 session, limited seating 

Comfortable shoes are recommended as these events cover all three levels of the Civic Center.

At this festival you will see why Asheville NC is rated among the best food and wine experiences in the country. 

The Asheville Wine and Food Festival helps fund the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association.

Second Saturday Tomorrow in Asheville's River Arts District

March 10    Second Saturday in the River Arts District   Artists open their doors and host openings, events classes and workshops on the second weekend of each month. Spend an entire day visiting dozens of working studios in a variety of media.


The River Arts District  is open year around  with the opportunity to meet artists in their studios. Schedules are available online. This unique area along the French Broad River is home to more than 165 artists with working studios located in 18 turn-of-the-century industrial buildings.The  artists of the River Arts District welcome you into their studios to talk with them, see their latest artwork, watch demonstrations, and experience for yourself the magic hidden inside the time-worn factories and warehouses along the French Broad River.

The District includes restaurants and cafes, a brewery, performing arts venue and free parking. Get a link for the River Arts District and other Asheville NC Attractions HERE.