Jan Gourley is bringing her superstar festival talents back to St. Augustine for the second annual St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival for five days — May 4-8. Recently recognized as “One of Florida’s Top 10 Food & Wine Festivals” by USA Today, it’s a celebration of culinary, beverage, culture and music that combines and highlights internationally recognized chefs as well as many chefs from Northeast Florida.
Gourley beams with excitement about this year’s news.
“The inaugural festival was a huge success, and I believe there was a tremendous pent-up demand for last year’s event on many levels,” she said. “The Northeast Florida community was definitely ready for a high-quality culinary event for many years, plus COVID’s waning presence. People are again ready to enjoy being outdoors with others partaking in the events that we have planned. We are so fortunate to have Publix + GreenWise Market as the festival’s presenting sponsor again. Their sponsorship support, along with a grant from the St. John’s Tourism Development Council, has enabled the festival for an accelerated growth. If this year’s ticket sales are any indication, most events will sell out, which is very exciting!”
This year’s new events and the main event on Saturday, May 7, will feature more than 300 varieties of beverage tastings with a souvenir glass.
Organizers have added a showcase of two cooking demo stages: The Southern Living Stage (with Rebecca Lang, Matthew Raiford and Hari Pulapaka) and the VIP Lounge on Saturday, May 7, that features Taste of the Southern Cast Iron Stage (featuring celebrity guest chef Jernard Wells of Food Network, Bravo TV and CLEO TV fame).
Food, beverage and entertainment aficionados will be amazed to experience celebrity winemakers, artisan food creators, farmers, local craft spirits and beers along with a hugely expanded variety of events — from wine dinners and tasting events to master classes and a glimpse into the booming culinary scene of our region.
Here’s a quick look at the “calendar of events” for the festival. For the complete schedule, go to staugustinefoodandwinefestival.com and click “Buy Tickets.”
Wednesday, May 4, 6:30-9 p.m.
New event: River Walk Tastings
Thursday, May 5
“World Golf Hall of Fame Winemaker’s Dinner”
Friday, May 6
Epicurean Master Classes:
“Fresh Pulled Mozzarella” with Cat Cora
“Mastering Biscuits” with Rebeca Lang, author with Southern Living magazine
“Gullah Geechee Recipes from Bress ‘N’ Nyam” with chef, author and farmer Matthew Raiford of Brunswick, Georgia.
“Taste Like a Master Sommelier” with Master Sommelier Will Costello of Miller Family Wine Company and an executive chef from Syscol.
Friday, May 6, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
“Smoke on the Walk,” Walk of Champions, World Golf Hall of Fame
Saturday, May 7, 8:30-11:30 a.m.
“Rise & Shine”
Saturday, May 7, 1-4 p.m.
Main event: “St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival”
Saturday, May 7, 6 p.m.
New event: “Preserved Wine Dinner” with Amalie Robert Wines
Sunday, May 8, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
“The Jazz Brunch” (Family-friendly event)
Volunteer roles and positions are a great way to meet guest celebrities and get exclusive behind-the-scenes access to a variety of events. There are numerous opportunities for those age 21 and older to volunteer with the festival and receive free admission to events and more.
Details can be found on the festival website with the most up-to-date information at staugustinefoodandwinefestival.com.
So, get your taste buds ready for a brilliantly orchestrated festival that’s bringing together and combining last year’s positioning at the World Golf Hall of Fame multi venues plus the new locations in downtown historic St. Augustine.
