Music City Food + Wine Returns for Its Seventh Year This September

The Music City Food + Wine Festival returns for its seventh year on September 20-22, and the bulk of the local and visiting chef lineup, plus event schedule, was announced today.

Tickets for the annual festival, happening September 20-22, went on sale this morning at 10 a.m. They’re available for Friday evening, Saturday day, harvest night, and gospel brunch — plus the inclusive all-in option providing access to all of the weekend festivities. All attendees must be 21 years of age or older. Ticket prices are inclusive of all food and drink.

The festival, held at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park on Friday, September 20, from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m., and Saturday, September 21, from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., will offer immersive cooking demonstrations, a dynamic roster of local and visiting chefs and artisans serving signature dishes and drinks.

The Friday Night Throwdown returns to Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park on September 20 — featuring chefs Carla Hall (chef, author, TV personality) and Tim Love (Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Woodshed Smokehouse, Queenie’s Steakhouse, Love Shack, White Elephant Saloon, Gemelle) in a spirited head-to-head cooking demo, captaining teams featuring celebrity sous chefs from the Nashville Predators and Tennessee Titans. Each team will be challenged to create a meal from a surprise ingredient box, with a celebrity panel of judges choosing the winning pair.

Throughout the weekend festival, attendees have multiple opportunities to personally interact as chefs lead cooking demonstrations.

On Saturday, September 21, Walk of Fame Park will be home to Harvest Night, with an all-star line-up of chefs and live music under the Nashville skyline. Chefs will serve signature dishes with a live musical performance by Chicago Plays The Stones, two generations of Chicago Blues stars paying homage to The Rolling Stones, whose own sound was inspired by the great bluesmen of all time.

Sunday’s gospel brunch gathers an acclaimed group of chefs and restaurants as they serve brunch favorites, set to a spirited live gospel performance at Walk of Fame Park. Experience brunch staples some of Tennessee’s most beloved chefs served alongside eye-opening cocktails, wines, and coffee,

As always, more details will be released as the event gets closer, so be sure to check back. In the meantime, see below for a full list of this year’s announced chef participants.

Featured chefs for the chef restaurant showcase:

Lokelani Alabanza (Hattie Jane’s)
Hrant Arakelian (Lyra)
Carey Bringle (Peg Leg Porker)
Derek Brooks (Capitol Grille)
Casey Carstens (Americano)
Gerard Craft (Pastaria)
Crystal De Luna-Bogan (The Grilled Cheeserie Melt Shop + Food Trucks)
Luke Fabian (Lonesome Dove Western Bistro Knoxville)
Matt Farley (TomKats Hospitality)
Tony Fraske (Makeready Libations & Liberation at Noelle)
Daniel Gorman (Henley)
Mike Haggerty (Sea Salt)
Hal M. Holden-Bache (Lockeland Table)
Vui Hunt (Vui’s Kitchen)
Michael Kopfman (Stateside Kitchen/Dream Nashville)
Kevin Korman (Whitebird at The Edwin, Chattanooga)
Daniel Lindley (5th & Taylor, Alleia)
Bron Lindsey (Adele’s)
Michael Lishchynsky (Bourbon Steak)
B.J. Lofback (Funk Seoul Brother)
Mike Morales (Sunda)
Deb Paquette & Jess Lambert (Etch, etc.)
Nick Pellegrino (Mangia Nashville)
Giovanni Pinato (Giovanni Ristorante)
Jess Rice (My Poor Tired Liver)
David Rule (Church & Charles, Knoxville)
Shawney Severns (Pemrose)
Joshua Simpson (Proper Bagel)
Nina Singto (Thai Esane)
John Stephenson & Joey Molteni (Hathorne)
Trevor Stockton (RT Lodge, Maryville)
David Tieman (Five Points Pizza)
Murphy Vaughn & Chris Bowater (SILO)
Eric Zizka (Saltine)
and more to be announced

Harvest Night chefs:

Rick Bayless
Jessica Benefield & Trey Burnette (Two Ten Jack, The Green Pheasant)
Matt Bolus (The 404 Kitchen)
pastry chef and James Beard Foundation Award-winning writer Lisa Donovan
James Beard Foundation Award winner Sarah Grueneberg
Carla Hall
Matt Hyland (Emily, Emmy Squared, Violet)
James Beard Foundation Award winner JJ Johnson (Fieldtrip, Henry at Life Hotel, NYC)
Cheetie Kumar (Garland, Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Tim Love; Margot McCormack (Margot Café & Bar, Marche)
Rob Newton (Gray & Dudley)
Deb Paquette (Etch, etc)
Aarón Sánchez
James Beard Foundation Award winner Jonathan Waxman (Barbuto, Adele’s, Jams, Brezza Cucina)
James Beard Foundation Award winner Tandy Wilson (City House)

Sunday Gospel Brunch featured chefs:

Katie Coss (Husk)
Pat Martin (Martin’s, Hugh Baby’s)
Claire Meneely (Dozen Bakery)
Rob Newton
Donna Piatko (The Old School Nashville)
Jonathan Searle (Proof on Main, Louisville)
more chefs and restaurants to be announced

• Music City Food + Wine [Official Site]