Jenna Kepley, the programming manager for the Charleston Wine + Food Festival, has been a key player in the organization since 2018. From summers spent with her grandmother learning how to make her Southern Comfort cake, crab dip and holiday meals, Kepley has always had a passion for food and culture.
Her first glimpse into the culinary industry began in high school in her hometown of Lexington, N.C., a small town about an hour from Charlotte that’s often called the “barbecue capital of the world.” Her first job was as a waitress at a local barbecue restaurant, where she worked for gas money.
“I was slinging chopped sandwiches, barbecue, slaw and hushpuppies,” Kepley said. “Then in college (University of South Carolina, Columbia), I worked at the Ruby Tuesday’s on Devine Street as hostess, server and eventually bartender.”
The summer after graduating, she found herself with a few friends moving to Charleston.
Kepley didn’t dive straight into working in the food scene in Charleston after arriving in the city. She had a short stint as a realtor for about a year or so before getting fired. Devastated, she went out on a limb and emailed the Charleston Wine + Food Festival, where she dreamed of working.
“I poured my heart out about how I’d do anything to work for the organization. My timing wasn’t great, as the festival had just wrapped up, and they weren’t hiring at that time,” she said.
Planning a festival
After a few years as executive assistant at another company, Kepley decided to give the festival one more try and got her chance when she was hired as the volunteer coordinator in 2018. She was still working full time elsewhere, but she didn’t let that deter her from showing how dedicated she was to working for the festival.
“I told them I’d do whatever they needed me to do to be there and leave my full-time gig,” Kepley said. “From there, I supported the talent department in an administrative capacity in addition to being the volunteer coordinator.”
After the 2019 festival wrapped, Kepley was offered a role as talent manager, which would eventually morph into the programming manager role she has today.
“I am responsible for creating and fostering relationships within the local Charleston food and beverage community and the national food and beverage community,” she said.
At the same time, she’s networking and having conversations with people to gather the stories and bringing them back to the Wine + Food team where they then build a festival. She also oversees the talent integration across the festival as well, essentially taking all of the participating talent and placing them in the events that makes the most sense for them to share their story.
“One thing that clicked for me this year is that I went to journalism school (at USC), and at one point, all I wanted to do was write about food and tell stories through food,” she said. “And even though I am not a journalist, I do tell stories through events.”
The fruits of labor
This year, Kepley is excited about what the festival has in store, leaning heavily into the inspiration that the city of Charleston gives for programming the over 100 events, demonstrations, excursions and experiences, with the hopes that the thousands of guests the festival brings in all leave with a memorable once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“Every year, we find new ways to celebrate, educate, enrich and promote the culinary and hospitality community and root it in the Lowcountry,” she said. “From the event concepts to the chefs preparing the dishes to what is in those dishes, it is layered throughout every inch of the festival weekend.
“It feels like there is momentum behind a burgeoning food scene that is diverse in flavors, cultures, and representation,” Kepley added. “I’m coming up on 12 years of living in Charleston, and to be able to choose between a West African, Thai, Mexican, Vietnamese, Chinese, Filipino, Brazilian, Gullah Geechee, Pakistani, Korean or Italian restaurant on the peninsula is exciting to say the least.”
The 2024 Charleston Wine + Food Festival runs March 6 through March 10. For more info, visit charlestonwineandfood.com.
A few tips for the 2024 Charleston Wine + Food Festival from programming manager Jenna Kepley
Try something new. Whether it is a dish from a restaurant you’ve never heard of or it’s a glass of something funky that you can’t pronounce, try it. I want guests to leave an event having discovered their new favorite restaurant, wine or band.
Get local. Back to the Dock with Backman Seafood is going to be really special. James Beard Award-winning writer and Backman family friend, Jamaal Lemon, is going to help us tell the story of the Backman Seafood legacy from the waterways they used to fish. Guests will hear from Mr. Sammy Backman himself about how his family ran a seafood empire and fed their community along the way.
Nerd out. You still have the chance to snag a ticket for The Vermouth Hour @ Stems & Skins with Eric Asimov, chief wine critic for The New York Times, and Matt Tunstall. If you’ve ever been curious about vermouth, this is your chance to dive in head first with two pros.
One stop shop. I’d be remiss not to mention the best way to get a taste of it all is by hitting the Culinary Village. I’d recommend going this route if you just can’t make up your mind. We bring a little bit of everything from the festival into the Culinary Village, so it really is a one-stop shop for all the best parts of the weekend.
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