Music City Food + Wine Festival Announces Line-Up And Tickets On Sale

GRAMMY-Award winning artists Kings of Leon, newly minted James Beard Foundation Award-winning Best Chef Jonathan Waxman, Vector Management’s Ken Levitan and Andy Mendelsohn, and C3 Presents are pleased to announce the fourth annual Music City Food + Wine Festival, September 17-18, 2016. Tickets go on sale today, May 11, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. CST, at http://www.musiccityfoodandwinefestival.com/tickets

“Tandy Wilson of City House just won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Southeast, and now he and so many other great chefs and restaurants from Nashville and across the nation will be featured at this year’s Music City Food + Wine Festival,” Mayor Megan Barry says. “Reading the lineup makes my mouth water. This will be another great showcase for our city. I appreciate all the hard work and organization that goes into producing the festival each year.”

“We are so excited for another Music City Food + Wine,” says Kings of Leon’s Nathan Followill, festival partner. “September can’t get here fast enough, but it gives me time to lose the 10 pounds I’ll gain that weekend.”

The Festival will bring together stars of Nashville’s culinary scene with acclaimed regional and national chefs, wine and spirits experts. Located in the heart of downtown Nashville, Festival programming will include interactive cooking demonstrations, engaging panel discussions, intimate Tasting Sessions and a rousing Sunday morning Gospel Brunch. The Grand Taste tents will offer food, wine and cocktail samples from local and regional artisans while over 40 Nashville restaurants will be on-site both Saturday and Sunday, serving signature dishes in the Chef Showcase. Celebrated pitmaster Pat Martin will host Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint and Friends, featuring an all-star line-up of chef friends from around the country that will barbecue, smoke, and grill meats and veggies in an interactive, live fire barbeque feast on festival grounds. And Harvest Night, Saturday night’s signature event showcasing dishes from world-renowned chefs, will feature live musical performances curated by Kings of Leon.

“Music City Food + Wine gathers some of the greatest chefs, artisans and musicians from the city and around the country in one place, making it one of the most special – and delicious – weekends in Nashville,” Ken Levitan says. “We are thrilled to celebrate our fourth year with both locals and visitors alike, and to toast our chef/partner, Jonathan Waxman, as well as returning chef Tandy Wilson and first-time participant Vivian Howard on their well-deserved James Beard Awards!” says Andy Mendelsohn.

“After last year’s fabulous festival, 2016 looks to be even better. Music City Food + Wine Festival gets mightier every year, and I am confident that we will exceed any and all expectations,” Jonathan Waxman says. “The one component that separates Music City from its fellow festivals is our ability to combine food, wine and live music. While I can vouch for my food buddies, our festival partners – Kings of Leon, Vector and C3 – ensure that the music will be without parallel.”

Chef Showcase:
Featuring different chefs and restaurants on Saturday, September 17, and Sunday, September 18, the Chef Showcase in the Grand Taste tents at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park (600 James Robertson Pkwy) will give attendees the opportunity to meet some of the city’s top chefs, while sampling dishes from a diverse line-up of restaurants. Chef Showcase will feature more than 40 of Nashville’s most beloved chefs and restaurants, including Kahlil Arnold (Arnold’s Country Kitchen); Salvador Avila (Prima Nashville); Jessica Benefield & Trey Burnette (Two Ten Jack); Kristin Beringson (Silo); Matt Bolus (404 Kitchen); Carey Bringle (Peg Leg Porker); Larry Carlile (Americano); Chris Carter & James Peisker (Porter Road Butcher); Maneet Chauhan (Chauhan Ale & Masala House); Trey Cioccia (The Farm House); Josh Habiger (Bastion); Matt Farley (Acme, The Southern Steak & Oyster); Jay Flatley (Tavern); Brandon Frohne (Hollar and Dash Biscuit House); Sarah Gavigan (Otaku South, Little Octopus); Nick Hertel (Merchants); Hal M. Holden-Bache (Lockeland Table); Philip Krajeck (Rolf & Daughters); John Lasater (Hattie B’s); Le Sel; Daniel Lindley (5th & Taylor); Andrew Little (Josephine); Jason McConnell (McConnell Hospitality Group); Margot McCormack (Margot Café & Marche); Travis McShane (Adele’s); Deb Paquette (Etch Restaurant); Kyle Patterson (Sinema Nashville); Nick Pellegrino (Mangia Nashville); Giovanni Pinato (Giovanni Ristorante); Ryan Poli (The Catbird Seat); Vasisht Ramasubramanian (The Hook); Andrew Rodriguez (Pinewood Social); Joshua Simpson (Proper Bagel); Nina Singto (Thai Esane); David Tieman (Five Points Pizza); Matt Tocco (Patterson House); Kaelin Ulrich Trilling (Bajo Sexto Taco); Cory Untch (Capitol Grille); Levon Wallace (Cochon Butcher); Bryan Lee Weaver (Butcher & Bee); Andrew Whitney (Virago); Karl Worley (Biscuit Love Brunch); and Jason Zygmont (The Treehouse).

Harvest Night:
At Harvest Night, Saturday night’s signature event at Walk of Fame Park (4th Avenue South), attendees will sample signature dishes from award-winning chefs while experiencing live musical performances, curated by Kings of Leon, showcasing Nashville’s legendary music scene. Harvest Night chefs include: Mashama Bailey (The Grey); Sean Brock (Husk); Lisa Donovan (Buttermilk Road); Billy Durney (Hometown Bar-B-Q); Vivian Howard (Chef & The Farmer, The Boiler Room); Ludo Lefebvre (Trois Mec, Petit Trois, Trois Familia); Joseph Lenn (J.C. Holdway); Tim Love (Lonesome Dove, Woodshed Smoke House, Love Shack, White Elephant Saloon, Queenie’s Steakhouse); Tony Mantuano (Spiaggia); Aarón Sánchez (Johnny Sánchez, Chopped, Taco Trip); Nancy Silverton (Osteria Mozza, Pizzeria Mozza, La Brea Bakery); Michael Symon (Lola Bistro, Lolita, B Spot Burgers, Roast, Bar Symon, Mabel’s BBQ); Jonathan Waxman (Adele’s, Bajo Sexto Taco, Barbuto, Brezza Cucina, Jams, Waxman’s San Francisco); Tandy Wilson (City House); and Andrew Zimmern (Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, Bizarre Foods America and Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre World). Musical guests will be announced late summer.

Cooking Demonstrations & Book Signings:
Throughout the weekend at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, attendees will have the opportunity to get up close and personal as chefs lead interactive and informative cooking demonstrations, including: Vivian Howard; Ludo Lefebvre; Tim Love; Tony Mantuano; Aarón Sánchez; Nancy Silverton & Jonathan Waxman; and Andrew Zimmern. The book signing schedule and cooking demonstrations will be released this summer.

Panel Discussions, Tasting Sessions & Gospel Brunch:
Listen in as the festival’s chefs, wine and spirits experts engage in dynamic conversations during a series of intimate Tasting Sessions and panel discussions about kitchen disasters, go-to prep playlists and much more. On Sunday morning, enjoy a spirited live gospel brunch performance with eye-opening cocktails to get a jump-start on the day. Stay tuned for panelist, moderator and musical line-up announcements.

Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint and Friends:
Back by popular demand, Music City Food + Wine Festival is pleased to announce that Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint and Friends will once again return with an all-star line-up of chefs and pitmasters from across the country, to be announced this summer. Celebrated pitmaster Pat Martin will be joined by a host of decorated chef friends to cook and serve an interactive, live fire barbeque and grilling fest on festival grounds at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park throughout the weekend.

Tickets & More Information:
Music City Food + Wine Festival ticket options include an All-In Ticket, as well as Saturday Day Ticket, Sunday Day Ticket and Harvest Night Ticket. All attendees must be 21 years of age or older.

The All-In Ticket ($500 per person) enables guests to experience the full weekend of Music City Food + Wine Festival, including access to cooking demonstrations, wine, beer & spirits tastings, intimate panel discussions, Saturday & Sunday’s Grand Taste tents, Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint and Friends, as well as Saturday’s Harvest Night.

The Saturday Day Ticket ($150 per person) includes single-day access to Saturday, September 17 festival programming at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, including cooking demonstrations, wine, beer & spirits tastings, intimate panel discussions, Chef Showcase and Tasting Sessions, book signings, Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint and Friends and Saturday’s Grand Taste tents.

The Sunday Day Ticket ($150 per person) includes single-day access to Sunday, September 18 festival programming at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, including cooking demonstrations, wine, beer & spirits tastings, intimate panel discussions, Chef Showcase and Tasting Sessions, book signings, Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint and Friends and Sunday’s Grand Taste tents.

Harvest Night ($275 per person) tickets are also available as a stand-alone ticket option. Hosted at the Walk of Fame Park in downtown Nashville, Harvest Night will offer guests the opportunity to sample signature dishes from over 15 of the nation’s most decorated chefs, paired with live music, curated by Kings of Leon.

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About Music City Food + Wine Festival:
Music City Food + Wine Festival is produced by GRAMMY-award winning artists (and Nashville residents) Kings of Leon, world-renowned chef Jonathan Waxman, Vector Management’s Ken Levitan and Andy Mendelsohn, and Austin-based C3 Presents — producer of Austin City Limits Music Festival, Lollapalooza, Austin Food + Wine Festival and Chicago Food + Wine Festival.

About FOOD & WINE:
FOOD & WINE is the ultimate authority on the best of what’s new in food, drink, travel, design and entertaining. FOOD & WINE has an extensive social media following on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and Foursquare. FOOD & WINE includes a monthly magazine; digital editions on the iPad, Kindle Fire and Nook Color; a website, foodandwine.com; a books division; FWx, a digital brand and website for millennials; plus newsletters, clubs, events around the globe and a restaurant partnership, Chef’s Club by FOOD & WINE.