Charleston Wine + Food kicks off with Opening Ceremony

By Robin Gibson / Photo by Jesse Volk, courtesy of Charleston Wine + Food

The 15th installment of the popular Charleston Wine + Food festival begins at noon on Wednesday, March 4, with an Opening Ceremony in Marion Square. Mayor John Tecklenburg will welcome festival-goers followed by remarks from Board Chair Steve Palmer and Executive Director Gillian Zettler.

The Opening Ceremony will also feature an awards presentation to festival honorees including Outstanding Beverage Contribution, the Frank Stitt National Chef Award, the Laura Hewitt Culinary Legend Award, and the Marc Collins Chef Award.

Charleston Wine + Food will also recognize College of Charleston scholarship recipients, as well as acknowledge local nonprofit partner, One80 Place Training, with an award for community engagement and philanthropy.

As in years past, the ceremony will conclude with a traditional champagne sabering as Executive Director Gillian Zettler officially kicks off the festival. Free and open to the public, no ticket is necessary to attend Wednesday’s event. 

About Charleston Wine + Food

Charleston Wine + Food is a cultural entity that champions the region’s unique foodways through world-renowned culinary experiences. Fueled by a contagious passion for the people and places that make Charleston worth celebrating, the annual festival infuses homegrown flavor with top chefs, winemakers, authors, storytellers, artisans, and food enthusiasts from around the globe for a five-day event that spans the first full weekend each March. Charleston Wine + Food is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that supports Charleston and the Lowcountry’s diverse culinary + hospitality community through financial contributions to organizations or persons that directly benefit our local foodways initiatives and strengthen our local community.