Courtesy of Agency 21
The Atlanta Food & Wine Festival returns September 11 to 14, expanding to four days and settling into a new home at the Home Depot Backyard at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Leaving behind the familiar backdrop of Historic Fourth Ward Park, the festival is growing alongside Atlanta’s vibrant food scene. This year it’s set to bring fresh energy with a focus on innovation, notable chefs such as the Americano’s Scott Conant, Marcus Bar & Grille’s Marcus Samuelson, and food TV personality Andrew Zimmern, and a deliberate shift toward balancing food and drink.
“While we love Historic Fourth Ward Park, we have simply outgrown the space,” says Brett Friedman, CEO of Agency 21, the company who puts on the festival. “Our new multiyear partnership with the Home Depot Backyard enables the event to continue to expand for grander collaborations and partnerships.”
Reflecting on previous years where the festival leaned heavily on alcohol offerings, the organizers say 2025 will take a more balanced approach. “The focus for 2025 is balance with a greater influence on culinary initiatives,” Friedman explains
Courtesy of Agency 21
The festival also adds a fourth day to its schedule, kicking off Thursday evening. Attendees can expect the tasting tents—offered Thursday through Saturday evenings, as well as Sunday afternoon—to offer different experiences each day, providing a fresh and varied approach to sampling Atlanta’s culinary scene. Tickets to a single day of Tasting Tents can be purchased for $135 for general admission and $185 for VIP, which provides early access.
Participating chefs include Sachi Nakato Takahara (Nakato Japanese Restaurant), Richard Lee (STK Steakhouse), Rodney Scott (Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ), Bank Bhamaraniyama (Tyde Tate Kitchen), and Lis Hernandez (Arepa Mia). Prospective attendees can check the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival website to see which days their favorite chefs will attend.
Courtesy of Agency 21
The festival stopped offering in-depth culinary classes several years ago. Instead, the focus is tasting tents, special events, and intimate dinners. The dinners have not been announced yet. However, there is a taste-around Whiskey & Fire event September 13 from 12:45 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in which local chefs cook on open fire and pair their creations with whiskies from around the world. The cost is $99 for general admission and $119 for VIP, which offers early entrance.
According to Friedman, sustainability is another emphasis this year. Through partnerships with Event Zero Inc. and Blue Strike, the festival will analyze its carbon footprint to explore more environmentally friendly options for future events. This initiative aligns with the festival’s commitment to minimizing environmental impact.
As the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival enters this new chapter, attendees can look forward to expanded space, balanced tasting tents, and a stronger commitment to sustainability—all designed to celebrate Atlanta’s growing reputation as a food city.
Advertisement
