While the Charleston Wine + Food Festival and the Food and Wine Classic in Charleston might get much of the region’s culinary festival glory, the Florence Wine and Food Festival may be giving them a run for the money. Scheduled for March 26 to March 28, the Florence festival offers access to world-class food and drink, less than three hours from Charleston.
Festival founders Tim Norwood and Frank Chisholm hosted the inaugural event in 2017. Norwood owned restaurants at the time and Chisolm was a wine aficionado. Both were instrumental in developing downtown Florence from being a sleepy downtown, and they wanted to start something to add to and elevate the cultural scene in their community.
Building up the festival
Matt and Ted Lee, James Beard Award-winning brothers, authors and culinary superstars, joined the festival in 2021.
“In the summer of 2021, a co-founder called us to ask if we would headline the rebooted Florence Wine and Food Festival,” said Matt Lee. “We got to talking and realized they could benefit from more than just an appearance. We could help grow their entire festival.”
Having attended festivals as talent, attendees and consultants for several decades, the Lee brothers were well equipped to come on as executive producers. Although the festival was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid, the brothers helped create three days’ worth of programming for 2022. They also assisted in hiring a new executive director and invited the beloved, late Nathalie Dupree to be the headliner that year.
As co-executive producers, their responsibilities are both vast and focused.
“A nonprofit food and wine festival has many moving parts — recruitment, marketing, sponsorship, events production, to name a few,” said Ted Lee. “An executive producer helps program the festival from 10,000 feet and brings the relationships piece to it.”
And the results of that hard work and deep connections are on full display this year. Sean Brock, a onetime Charleston chef who really needs no introduction, is the culinary headliner for 2026. Danica Patrick, an IndyCar Series and NASCAR trailblazer, will represent her Somnium Wines.
Curating talent is a highlight for the Lee brothers.
“That is the fun stuff, and it really never hurts to dream big and ask,” said Matt Lee. “It turns out that the uniqueness and novelty factor of the Pee Dee is an asset to recruiting talent. Chefs and winemakers who have experienced big cities a hundred times over want to come see for themselves what the Florence area is all about.”
Another essential component to the festival is philanthropy. Norwood and Chisholm knew childhood hunger is a concern in the area and they started to give back during the inaugural year. Help 4 Kids, an organization that provides food insecure children with a bag of food for the weekend, has been the partnering nonprofit since the beginning.
Getting there
Florence is an easy drive from Charleston via I-26 and I-95. While the car is a great option, Amtrak is the recommended vehicle (and a great designated driver). You can hop on in North Charleston and arrive at the Florence station, which is downtown. Amtrak currently works for a day trip, allowing travelers to arrive at 10:50 a.m. and return to North Charleston at 8:30 p.m.
And while South Carolina is undeniably beautiful from the mountains to the marshes, the Pee Dee region is an undiscovered gem for many.
“The PeeDee is a fertile growing region,” said Ted Lee. “McCall Farms, the largest vegetable cannery on the eastern seaboard, is located in Florence, and for good reason. A food festival makes great sense simply from an agricultural perspective. But it also has a lively and growing food and beverage scene with a unique history tied to the Santee River delta and the important rivers flowing through it.”
And while many festivals involve long lines and overcrowding, Florence is the opposite.
“Our festival is on an intimate scale,” said Matt Lee. “You will be able to connect with the chefs and bakers, taste delicious bites and learn about an exceptional new wine or spirit you’ve never tasted.”
South Carolina | Photo by Peter Frank Edwards
Norwood also stressed the enduring strength of the food and beverage scene in Florence that the festival provides.
“What I really hope is to build the brand for the Florence festival so that some sous chef in Charleston or Columbia or Greenville or Atlanta will see what we’re doing here and say, ‘That’s a growing community, and it’s a great place to start a restaurant.’ That was the ultimate reason we did it: to build our community and support it in every way we could.”
Can’t-miss events at the Florence Wine and Food Festival
Meat and Meander: Kick off the 2026 festival with a casual party featuring smoked, grilled and slow-roasted dishes paired with beverages by Micky Finn’s wine store and live bluegrass by The Bluestone Ramblers. March 26 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Sean Brock Live: James Beard Award-winning chef, cookbook author and TV presenter Sean Brock will present a cooking demonstration and interactive experience and book-signing in downtown Florence. March 27 from
3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Wine and spirits class with Ray Isle: Spend Saturday morning on a tasting exploration with Food and Wine magazine’s Executive Wine Editor Ray Isle, discovering the great mysteries of both wine and whiskey. Isle is one of the world’s most dynamic wine personalities and author of the wine guide The World in a Wineglass.
March 28 from 11 a.m. to noon.
The Grand Tasting: Beneath a massive tent, the festival offers a city block’s worth of delicious bites and sips with winemakers, craft brewers and distillers alongside the region’s best restaurants and specialty-food purveyors. The Grand Tasting offers an all-you-can-sample taste of the Pee Dee’s food culture, with a performance stage offering chef demonstrations, competitions and live music. March 28 from noon to 3 p.m.
The Last Bite Bash: Hosted by pitmaster Elliott Moss of Florence’s Elliott’s BBQ Lounge, the Last Bite Bash sets one very long, festive table at the Pee Dee State Farmers Market. Other participating chefs include James Beard Award-winning chefs Ashleigh Shanti of Asheville’s Good Hot Fish and Walnut Family Bakery’s Camille Cogswell of Marshall, N.C., as well as Kyle and Heather Sutton of Bestow Baked Goods in Holly Springs, N.C. March 28 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.