When Charleston Wine + Food (CHSWF) kicks off again on March 4, it will celebrate its 20th year of delicious food, great conversation and educational impact.
While reflecting on the people and programming that made CHSWF one of the premier festivals in the country, it will also be a time to look ahead at what’s next. And as of this week, tickets are officially on sale.
“In alignment with our mission to build a sustainable, vibrant and connected community, we’ll expand programs that foster collaboration and opportunity within the local hospitality industry,” said Alyssa Maute Smith, the festival’s executive director. “This includes prioritizing partnerships with local producers and talent, amplifying underrepresented voices and creating intentional spaces for connection between visiting and local chefs, makers and beverage professionals.”
The CHSWF chef experience
Marc Collins, executive chef and co-owner at Circa 1886, is a festival fixture who has been involved since year one. He has seen firsthand the evolution of CHSWF.
“The size and scope of the festival have changed quite a bit,” he said. “But the goal of bringing awareness to the amazing hospitality community and heart of what it stood for all those years ago has remained the same.”
Shuai Wang, chef and owner of Jackrabbit Filly and King BBQ, has participated in CHSWF since 2015 when he was “just a wee baby food truck.”
He said his main event in 2026 will celebrate the ladies.
“CHSWF agreed to fly in most of the women that I cooked with on Top Chef for a Ladies Who Lunch-themed lunch,” Wang said. “We can’t wait to catch up and be wowed by all these great chefs yet again. In general, that’s our favorite part of the festival – that it draws in all these chefs we love while drawing our local favorite chefs out of their restaurant black holes. It’s a great opportunity to catch up and cut loose.”
Both chefs noted that a sense of community is truly at the heart of everything the festival does.
“What drew us to the area and its food scene in particular was that it was so welcoming and everyone really knew and supported each other,” Wang said. “As it grows and diversifies and new spots open and others close, we hope that the tight-knit-ness, welcoming vibe and local-vore passion remains.”
Educational impact
What many people might not realize about the festival is its commitment to education and workforce initiatives.
“Education has been a cornerstone of Charleston Wine + Food since its founding,” said Smith. “When the organization was established, its bylaws defined education as one of its primary charitable purposes. From the very first festival, Charleston Wine + Food has viewed education not as an add-on, but as part of our DNA. We use events, scholarships and mentorship to strengthen Charleston’s culinary and hospitality ecosystem.”
Formal initiatives took shape when CHSWF launched college scholarship programs at the College of Charleston (CoC) and Trident Technical College’s Culinary Institute. In 2016, the CoC Communications Capstone Partnership started integrating students directly into festival marketing and strategy. In 2024, the Culinary High School Scholars Enrichment Program launched and brought in local high school students interested in culinary and hospitality careers. A year later, the CoC School of Business Micro-Internship Program was introduced, and it helps pay for internships within the CHSWF team.
That same year, CHSWF grew the Culinary High School Scholars Enrichment Program to a new school district, and it now serves students from both Charleston County and Dorchester District 2. Over the year, more than 1,000 students from nine schools engaged in hands-on learning experiences through the festival. And the impact is undeniable: an astounding 47% of students reported that they planned to pursue a career in the food and beverage industry after participating in the program.
CHSWF during the off-season
Festival programming is no longer just during March, highlighted by the new Summer Sizzle series.
“In 2025, the series ran from May through July, offering a slate of events that blended hands-on learning, thought-provoking conversations and community gatherings,” said Smith. “Our goals in producing these experiences are to strengthen the hospitality industry, highlight the diversity of Charleston’s food culture, and preserve the city’s rich culinary history.”
Summer Sizzle event highlights included the “Finding Edna Lewis Screening + Conversation” where Deb Freeman, a culinary historian, writer and executive producer of the Emmy Award–winning PBS documentary, joined Charleston chef and City Paper contributor Amethyst Ganaway for a talk about Lewis’s contributions to Lowcountry cooking. “We The Pizza” was a conversation with Muhammad Abdul-Hadi, the 2024 James Beard Leadership Award recipient and founder of Down North Pizza, a restaurant that exclusively hires formerly incarcerated individuals.
The next 20 years
And where does CHSWF go from here?
“I see Charleston Wine + Food continuing to dig deep and finding new, meaningful ways to support our community,” said Smith. “I want our powerful platform to be used for good. I want to see this organization continuing to highlight stories that haven’t yet been told, to recognize the people making a real impact in our city and to use this special festival to remind everyone that food is more than just sustenance. Food is a connector, a bridge-builder, a way to gather, learn, and grow together.”
- More: chswf.org.
2026 event highlights
- Opening Night Reunion: Kick off the festival with a celebration of Charleston’s culinary pioneers, bringing together chefs past and present for a night of iconic dishes and community spirit.
- 20 Years at Charleston’s Table: a multi-course dinner tracing the evolution of Charleston’s food scene over the past two decades, honoring the chefs, traditions and innovations that shaped the city.
- Bubbles and Sweets: a returning favorite pairing decadent pastries with sparkling wines, highlighting Charleston’s sweet side in style.
- Culinary Village: the festival’s largest tasting experience returns, featuring themed neighborhoods, rotating chef stations, hands-on demos, local music and interactive sponsor activations.
- Island Time: a Caribbean-inspired celebration of food, drink and music overlooking Charleston Harbor, spotlighting the deep cultural connections between the Lowcountry and the Islands.
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