Top Five Ways to Experience the St. Simons Food + Spirits Festival: An Insider’s Guide to Celebrating Food, Music, and Drink
By Kelly Smith, Assistant Festival Director & Communications
Tickets are now on sale for the 6th annual St. Simons Island Food + Spirits Festival, a five-day homage to the finest in coastal cuisine, wine, beer, spirits, and entertainment, presented by The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort. Festival events will take place in some of the most iconic St. Simons Island locations from October 4-8. The Festival is a non-profit organization that gives back to the community in one of the most important ways, by raising funds and awareness for its charity of choice, Hospice of the Golden Isles. With more than 50 award-winning Southeastern chefs participating alongside beverage experts and popular culinary personalities, this year’s scheduled events will make it a milestone occurrence. Since you may not be able to do it all, we’re offering up our top five tips on how to best enjoy the festival.
First, learn something new! You can’t beat the chance to be educated on culinary techniques from the experts! Thursday’s PITMASTER 101 brings you the secrets of world-class pitmasters from around the South during this exciting new class. Enjoy seasoning, sauces, and special tips from the best in the barbecue business. Attendees will also get to sample fare from the Pitmasters and beverage partners. Shrimp Five Ways, presented by The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort on Friday offers the seafood perspective when it comes to cooking. Full of ideas for fresh and innovative dishes you can create at home, Executive Chef de Cuisine James Flack and celebrity Chef Jernard Wells will be creating a midday meal of the coast’s most beloved catches. There will also be spirited offerings and ideas from the experts from Richland Rum. Of course, there’s an excellent celebrity chef photo opportunity here too!
Second, get your tickets for Southern Soul Barbeque’s FIREBOX BBQ on the Bluff Invitational. This NEW event taking place Thursday evening is one you won’t want to miss, with some of the best Southern chefs and pitmasters: Southern Soul Barbeque, Fox Bros Bar-B-Q, Peg Leg Porker, Home Team BBQ, Barbeque Hall of Fame member Mike Mills and more. Music by The Futurebirds, an indie rock band formed up the road in Athens, finger-licking good barbeque, and exceptional bourbon, beer and spirits tastings will have everyone talking!
Third, take your taste buds for a trip they won’t forget! Friday evening’s Flights & Bites experience will feature coastal food offerings from some of the finest restaurants and many exceptional chefs in the Golden Isles. At the finals of the Coastal Stir competition, guests will be able to vote for their favorite bartenders as they face off in this annual festival competition favorite, as the 2017 is crowned. Insider Cocktail Tip: during the event, guests get to vote for their favorite libation within each spirits category. Local bartenders will create one-of-a-kind cocktails and you will be the judge on who wins.
Fourth, locals and visitors alike will be amazed at the return of Tasting Under the Oaks. After an absence in 2016 due to Hurricane Matthew, Festival organizers and Board Members reimagined the possibilities of the Festival’s most iconic day. On Saturday, guests will be welcomed with the culinary diversity for which the Georgia Coast is known and enjoy tasting cuisine from local restaurants, gourmet grocers and artisan bakers and tastemakers. Enjoy live music from Cranford Hollow while you savor the best cocktails in the Southeast. You can purchase an admissions ticket now through September 30 for as low as $39, which will give you access to unlimited beverage tastings for the day. Cheer on your favorite chef during the Chef Showdown and Celebrity Chef Demonstrations. There will again be a Kids Zone available for “junior” patrons. Tasting Tip: Menu items from area restaurants will be sold to guests so you won’t go hungry. You’ll be able to snack on familiar favorites or try out new dishes with the new marketplace style format. Appetizer-sized portions will be priced at $5 or less and provide the perfect opportunity to try cuisine from every restaurant. Purchase your tasting tickets (One ticket equals $1) at the admissions tent when you arrive.
Tip number five: nothing says Southern indulgence like an over-the-top Sunday brunch. The SPIRITual Sunday Brunch will offer an array of appetizers, breakfast favorites, desserts and chef’s cook-to-order favorites. In addition, there will be a showcase of unlimited tastings of signature cocktails, a variety of wine, spirits, and beer, as well as a Bloody Mary bar, Champagne and Mimosas. It will definitely be a brunch to remember. Scheduling Tip: Dine oceanside in the historic setting of the The King & Prince Beach and Golf Resort with live entertainment, libations and more by getting your ticket to select seating times.
One last bonus “tip” applies to 2016 Ticket Holders. Remember to redeem your ticket(s) through the compensation plan that the Festival has created for those who purchased a ticket for last year’s festival that was canceled due to Hurricane Matthew! 2016 Ticket holders will be able to redeem their ticket(s) online for events held in 2017, but tickets must be exchanged under the exchange program by September 15th. All details regarding exchanges and redemption of the 2016 tickets are available on the website at ssifoodandspirits.com.
Be sure to visit the website for more detailed information about all of this year’s events and participants and to purchase tickets.
