The annual Charleston Wine + Food Festival’s culinary village has a new home at Riverfront Park in North Charleston, festival organizers announced in a Wednesday press release, saying “the move accommodates the festival’s steady growth.” W+F is scheduled to take place March 2-6, 2022.
Marion Square has been the culinary village’s home since the inaugural 2005 festival, and finding a new location was one of executive director Gillian Zettler’s main projects in 2021 after announcing the annual festival would be canceled in August 2020.
“We’ve known for some time that our festival was bursting at the seams of Marion Square,” Zettler said in the release.
At Riverfront Park, W+F ticket holders will be able to enjoy the village along with a new musical event called NightCap. Food trucks will park outside the ticketed area, allowing non-ticket-holders to experience the action.
Marion Square will still be utilized as a venue — a “free, community event” will be announced at a later date, and “dozens” of other W+F events will be held on the peninsula. In total, the festival will feature nearly 100 events — the full schedule will be announced Oct. 17, and tickets will be available starting Oct. 21.
“We’re thrilled to retain a foothold in the city we love even as we expand to a spot that allows more room to roam and opportunities for expanded programming,” Zettler said. “Both cities — Charleston and North Charleston — have been great partners to us as we plan our return in 2022.”
Riverfront Park has hosted numerous large events over the past decade, including High Water Festival and the Spoleto Festival USA finale showcase. Added redevelopment is taking root nearby, and a pedestrian bridge over Noisette Creek will establish a new entrance at the north end of the park when it opens by fall 2022, city staff tell the City Paper.
For more information, visit charlestonwineandfood.com.
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