Food Festivals Are Coming Back, but a Little Different This Year New BayHaven Food & Wine Festival joins Chow Chow and euphoria in the world of Southern food fests Tweet Share
Before big public events went into hibernation early last year, food festivals in general were coming under some sharp scrutiny for the way they treated the participating chefs and the gulf between the expectations of celebrity chefs versus up-and-comers. Plus, a deserved spotlight was being shined on whether BIPOC chefs were getting their share of attention.
As the window slowly opens on starting food events again, three Southern festivals are making some changes, including a brand new event in Charlotte, N.C., aimed at introducing notable Black chefs to the dining public. Some festival organizers have already been presenting online opportunities to stay front-of-mind with their fans and are still figuring out how to ease into in-person events.
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Subrina and Greg Collier, of the restaurant Leah & Louise in Charlotte.
With COVID restrictions finally easing, star-packed food festivals are beginning to return to the scene. But a new festival planned for this fall in Charlotte aims to bring a different focus than the big gatherings: celebrating Black chefs.
While Black chefs have long been an integral part of Charlotte’s food scene, they weren’t getting the recognition they deserved. That began to change in 2016, when a group of Black chefs in Charlotte put on a pop-up dinner, Soul Food Sessions, designed to showcase the city’s Black cooking talent and garner the chefs more visibility. The dinners became semi-regular events, and they eventually expanded to a three-city tour that took them to Washington, Baltimore, and Charleston. For the chefs, it was a vital means of exposure.
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