New West Asheville tasting festival added; What to know about more WNC food festivals

Tiana Kennell, Asheville Citizen Times
·5 min read
Chefs from Tastee Diner serve up samples created using fresh local produce during the 2022 Bountiful Cities’ Urban Garden Tour and Tasting.
Chefs from Tastee Diner serve up samples created using fresh local produce during the 2022 Bountiful Cities’ Urban Garden Tour and Tasting.

ASHEVILLE - Premium beverages and artisanal dishes are the center of several upcoming food and beverage festivals.

In June, the revamped Carolina CiderFest will host a block party-style tasting festival in the South Slope brewing district.

In July, Heritage Fire Tour, a national touring food festival makes its third consecutive return to the Asheville area with more than a dozen local and regional chefs competing for the best dish prepared over a live fire.

In 2022, Chef Owen McGlynn (center), co-owner of Asheville Proper and Little D's, and his culinary team won Heritage Fire's Heritage Hero award for their steak and chimichurri dish.
In 2022, Chef Owen McGlynn (center), co-owner of Asheville Proper and Little D's, and his culinary team won Heritage Fire's Heritage Hero award for their steak and chimichurri dish.

In August, Bite Me debuts as a multi-day communitywide food culture featuring tasting events, cooking competitions, industry panel discussions, parties and more.

Then, the recently announced Westival will premiere in September with a host of neighborhood food businesses uniting for a charitable cause.

Get a taste of Asheville's dining and drink scene ― add these events to the social calendar.:

Westival

This new tasting festival celebrating West Asheville food and community, is slated for 4-8 p.m. Sept. 28 at Archetype Brewing, 265 Haywood Road. More than 10 West Asheville-based food businesses will serve samples with music by a DJ, a raffle, information tables and activities planned.

Asheville Poverty Initiative established the Westival fundraiser to support the nonprofit’s ongoing work to promote economic justice, provide poverty education, and address hunger, housing and poverty issues through its Realities of Poverty Education program and other outreach services. API’s programs and initiatives are designed to dismantle stereotypes, reduce fear and empower hope by connecting and sharing the stories of community members across socio-economic differences.

Kai Naor, 12 Baskets Café coordinator, offers hand warmers to diners after their meals March 20, 2023.
Kai Naor, 12 Baskets Café coordinator, offers hand warmers to diners after their meals March 20, 2023.

API's 12 Baskets Café at 610 Haywood Road brings together people from all walks of life over prepared meals. It provides groceries and pantry items to those in need with reportedly more than 2,000 pounds of food rescued and distributed weekly to more than 500 patrons.

Westival’s participating businesses include Botiwalla, Food Experience, Gan Shan, Jargon, Pizza Mind, Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack, Taco Billy, Sunny Point Café, The Hop Handcrafted Ice Cream, The West End and West Village Marketplace.

Westival tickets are $35, including admission and unlimited tastings. A $55 ticket includes a T-shirt. For more, visit ashevillepovertyinitiative.org/westival.

Burial Beer's Anno XI

Burial Beer Co.'s Anno XI anniversary live music concert and beer festival will begin at Noon on June 15 at Burial Forestry Camp, 10 Shady Oak Drive. Several music acts will perform on the outdoor stage at the all-ages event. General admission tickets: $60. VIP tickets: $115.17. Beer, food and other treats will be sold à la carte. Also, look out for announcements for Burial's annual beer-tasting festival, Burnpile, in October. For more, visit annoxburial.com.

Burial Beer Co. has a taproom on the South Slope and at Forestry Camp in Asheville. In June, the Asheville-founded brewery will celebrate its 11th anniversary with the Anno XI festival.
Burial Beer Co. has a taproom on the South Slope and at Forestry Camp in Asheville. In June, the Asheville-founded brewery will celebrate its 11th anniversary with the Anno XI festival.

Carolina CiderFest

Presented by Shay & Company and the North Carolina Cider Association, Carolina CiderFest will be 12:30-4 p.m. June 22 in the streets of Asheville’s South Slope brewing district. The age-21-and-older event will offer samples of hard ciders, mead, apple wine and seltzers by more than 20 local and regional producers and served alongside artisanal food bites. General admission: $45. VIP tickets: $85. The Carolina CiderFest Pre-Party will be 6-9 p.m. June 21 at Noble Cider, 356 New Leicester Highway. The Carolina CiderFest After Party is 4-8 p.m. June 22 at Urban Orchard, 24 Buxton Ave. For more, visit carolinaciderfest.com.

Heritage Fire Tour

On July 14, more than a dozen local and regional chefs will compete in Heritage Fire Tour: Asheville, a national touring food festival making its third consecutive return to the area. For ages 21 and up, it will be hosted at Horse Shoe Farm, 155 Horse Shoe Farm Drive in Hendersonville. Participating chefs and restaurants will provide samples of dishes prepared over a live fire followed by the audience voting for their favorite bite of the day and the naming of the event's "Heritage Hero" winner. General admission tickets: $125. VIP tickets: $175. For more, visit heritagefiretour.com/tour-dates/asheville-nc.

Ukiah's winning dish
Ukiah's winning dish

Urban Garden Tour & Tasting

The Urban Garden Tour & Tasting with Bountiful Cities will return from 1-6 p.m. July 14. The all-ages self-guided tour invites guests to explore 10 Asheville urban gardens to sample chef-made savory and sweet dishes and local beverages using seasonal produce. The event will include educational activities, raffles and demonstrations. Garden tour registration is free but tickets are required to sample food and beverages. Early bird tickets: $40. The after-party is 6 p.m. at The Odd, 045 Haywood Road. Ticketholders receive a free drink and snack. For details, visit bountifulcities.org.

Bite Me

From Aug. 14-18, the Bite Me food culture festival will present events in various locations across the cities, including indoor and outdoor restaurants and event venues with a communitywide picnic at a city park. Presented by JD Ellison & Company communications agency and local food, beverage and media professionals, Bite Me will feature local and national special guests, including James Beard Award-nominated chefs, celebrating foodways and those who narrate its stories. Festival passes range from $79-149. For more, visit bitemeavl.com.

AVL Food Series

AVL Food Series kicked off in March and will continue with more food and beverage-centric events throughout the year, presented by Shay & Co. and Devil's Foot Beverage Co. and hosted at The Mule, 131 Sweeten Creek Road. On June 13, James Beard Award-nominated restaurateur and chef Sam Etheridge will prepare a multi-course dinner with wine pairings by Metro Wines. On July 27, Tacotopia Food Fest will feature various local vendors' tacos for sampling. On Aug. 22, North Carolinian restaurateurs and chefs Sera Cuni, of Cafe Root Cellar, and Chef Tie Whittaker, of Buttermilk Boutique, will collaborate for a dining experience. Later, the AVL Food Series will host food festivals celebrating pizza, seafood, barbecue and chili. For more, visit shaybrownevents.com/avl-food-series.

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Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Westival, Cider Fest, more food, beverage festivals in Asheville

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