Traverse City, Mich. — Tickets for Traverse City Food & Wine (TCF&W), presented by 4Front Credit Union, will go on sale Friday, June 13 at 10 am. The five-day farm-to-table celebration will be held August 20 – 24. A full list of events and all ticket sales will be available at TraverseCityFoodandWine.com. With over 40 ticketed events in venues throughout the Traverse City area, TCF&W is designed to showcase the culinary talents, local agriculture, and craft beverage offerings available in the Grand Traverse region.
A Grand Tasting on Saturday afternoon, August 23, will offer guests a chance to sample many of the area’s favorite flavors in one setting. The Main Stage at the Grand Tasting will feature a rotation of conversations with celebrity chefs, cooking demonstrations, and tasting tips. The Main Stage will be hosted by actress Amy Smart and her husband, television host/designer Carter Oosterhouse. Attendees can sample from over 100 locally produced wines and craft drinks alongside small plates from local restaurateurs and guest chefs, all featuring the region’s agricultural bounty.
Food Network star Tyler Florence will demonstrate his favorite grilling techniques and serve up accompanying side dishes on Friday afternoon, followed by a multi-course wine pairing dinner at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. The event at the Resort is a homecoming for the 29-year Food Network veteran; early in his career, he briefly worked at the Resort.
Newly added to the talent lineup is Antoni Porowski (Ann-toe-nee Pah-raw-ski), a New York Times bestselling author for his cookbook, Let’s Do Dinner, and host of the new National Geographic television series “No Taste Like Home”. Porowski is the food and wine expert on the Netflix series, “Queer Eye.” He will be featured during a National Writers Series (TCF&W special edition) discussion, talking about his love of cooking and sharing a few stories from his show, where he travels with celebrities to discover their culinary and ancestral roots.
The National Writers Series will also host an exclusive panel of chefs from several top cooking competition shows – Top Chef, Iron Chef, Chopped, and more – for a candid glimpse into the world of competitive cooking from the people who’ve lived it. From the adrenaline of reality TV kitchens to the impact these shows have had on their careers and personal lives, these culinary stars will share behind-the-scenes stories, career-defining moments, and what comes after the cameras stop rolling.
Several notable chefs will share their expertise at Traverse City Food & Wine, including several James Beard Award nominees. The list includes Mei Lin, a Top Chef winner and Food Network star. Also in the lineup are Traverse City newcomers, Sarah Welch and Cameron Rolka, who opened two highly acclaimed restaurants, Marrow and Mink, in Detroit.
Traverse City was recently recognized by Food & Wine Magazine as being among the Top Small US Cities for food and drink. “This event demonstrates Traverse City’s rise as a food and wine hotspot. Rooted in natural abundance and a strong community of chefs, artisans, and farmers. The region deserves to celebrate its creativity and efforts,” said Traverse City Tourism President, Trevor Tkach (tah-KACH).
Traverse City Food & Wine will kick off on Wednesday, August 20th with a Harvest Blessing Ceremony and cooking demonstrations at the Sara Hardy Downtown Farmers Market and an Opening Night Patio Party at Delamar. A full list of events and participating talent is on the website, as well as travel planning tools. Visitors are reminded that the Cherry Capital Airport offers non-stop flights to 20 cities, making travel to Traverse City quick and convenient.
Traverse City Food & Wine is organized by Traverse City Tourism.
