Major food and drink festival coming to Callaway Gardens
It looks to be an extremely tasty event heading into one of the most colorful seasons of the year at Callaway Gardens, that being the blooming of azaleas at the nature resort in Pine Mountain, Ga.
Advance ticket sales for the inaugural Sip & Savor Spring, a four-day food and drink festival scheduled March 15-18, are getting under way, according to Jan Gourley, partner with Hilton Head Island, S.C.-based The Adfish Group, a public relations company that specializes in organizing and marketing these types of culinary gatherings.
She said this initial Callaway Gardens event is being modeled from similar fests co-founded by Adfish. That includes the Savannah Food and Wine Festival, which launched five years ago and now draws about 15,000 people. Another is Whiskey, Wine and Wildlife that takes place at Jekyll Island on the Georgia coast.
“These are wonderful opportunities, especially for foodies, and even wine novices and connoisseurs,” Gourley said Monday. “It’s a great opportunity to get up close and personal with celebrity chefs, winemakers and master sommeliers. The classroom environments are typically 25 to 30 people. All of the talent is extremely approachable at these events. It’s just a really unique kind of interaction.”
Proceeds from some of the festival’s individual events, and all of the live and silent auctions, will go to the Ida Cason Callaway Foundation, the nonprofit entity that owns and operates Callaway Resort & Gardens. The money is expected to be used for restoration projects and other needs.
Sip & Savor Spring will be serving up signature meals, classes and al fresco tasting events at several locations throughout Callaway Gardens. Those sites include Robin Lake Beach and the big top tent adjacent to it.
More than 50 chefs, cookbook authors, winemakers and others from across the South are expected to be on hand for Sip & Savor, which runs from Thursday, March 15, through Sunday, March 18. Limited advance ticket sales, however, are being offered through Nov. 30 or until they are sold out.
“The idea is to bring a culinary destination event to a premium, luxury resort in an off-peak season timeframe,” said Gourley, noting the Pine Mountain Tourism Association is a partner in the event.
Depending on the weather and temperatures, azalea season typically starts in mid- to late March at Callaway Gardens, with blooming continuing through much of April. Dogwood trees and flowers such as daffodils and tulips also infuse the resort with color each spring.
Here is an event breakdown of the Sip & Savor Spring festival:
▪ March 15 — James Beard Foundation, Celebrity Chef Tour Dinner, 6 p.m., Callaway Resort & Gardens Conference Center. A six-course, wine-paired dinner with celebrity guest chefs hosted by the resort’s culinary team. This night will feature special guests, including James Beard Foundation award-winning or nominated chefs and authors, television chef personalities, winemakers, winery owners and sommeliers.
▪ March 16 — Bloom Master Class Series, various locations at Callaway Resort & Gardens. (Class 1: Butterflies & Brews) Learn how to create a butterfly garden from master gardeners, with a guest chef cooking demo and the sampling of a variety of Georgia’s best craft brews. (Class 2: Cooking with Herbs and Edible Flowers) A panel of celebrity chefs, master gardeners and award-winning authors discuss the art of growing, sourcing and cooking with edible flowers, herbs and more. Taste gourmet samples made with herbs and edible flowers, paired with wines. (Class 3: Biscuits 101 & Bourbon) A celebrity guest chef will guide participants through the art of making Southern biscuits and then pair the creations with a perfect bourbon.
▪ March 16 — Sip & Savor, Ski Pavilion on the beach. Waterfront and interactive tastings with beer, wines, spirits, gourmet sweet and savory tasting bites, music and more. Local celebrity guest chefs will be featured and a live auction is to be held with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting the Ida Cason Callaway Foundation.
▪ March 17 — Waffle House Showdown at the Beach Pavilion. Watch chefs compete for the title of “Waffle House Master” in a fun and lively competition with a Bloody Mary bar, signature cocktails, waffles and bacon bar and more. All benefit the Ida Cason Callaway Foundation.
▪ March 17 — Tastings Under the Big Top, Florida State University High Flying Circus Tent. The main event with music, food and beverages under the tent and the surrounding grounds. It features hundreds of beverage tastings, culinary bites from local restaurants, and chefs from around the Southeast. There will be celebrity chef demonstrations, cookbook authors and other interactive showcases. Some of Georgia’s best homegrown products will be available, along with gourmet foods and crafts.
▪ March 18 — Longleaf Brunch presented by Callaway Resort & Gardens. The festival finale is a brunch from the resort’s culinary team. Many exceptional beverage tastings are included in the brunch, including signature cocktails, a variety of wine, spirits, beer, Bloody Mary bar, champagne and mimosas.
This story was originally published October 23, 2017 at 4:44 PM with the headline "Major food and drink festival coming to Callaway Gardens."