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New Name, More Fun: SAVOR Blowing Rock Food and Beverage Fest Set for April 14-17

Get ready for SAVOR Blowing Rock!

The picturesque mountain village will bring back this annual celebration, formerly known as the Blue Ridge Wine and Food Festival, April 14-17.

The name might be different, but festivalgoers can still expect the same great experience they’ve had for the past decade. In fact, they can expect even more this year!

Photo courtesy of SAVOR Blowing Rock.
Photo courtesy of SAVOR Blowing Rock.

“The name change was really brought about because there are so many breweries and so many distilleries now in North Carolina,” said Blowing Rock Chamber Events Director Billie Rogers. “We felt like we were only hitting 1/3 of the group, and we wanted to be sure we’re bringing in all three: wineries, breweries and distilleries.”

The new name, SAVOR, also allows the festival to include new and changing trends in the food and beverage industry in the years to come.

SAVOR Blowing Rock

The 2016 festival will feature all of the popular events and programs that folks across the southeast have come to know and love about it, including tastings, seminars and workshops, pairing dinners with local restaurants, music and entertainment, shopping, the annual Corkscrew 5K at Chetola Resort and the popular TASTE! restaurant showcase.

This year, however, there’s even more to see and do, and there’s even more food. New in 2016 are an expanded Sip and Stroll event, two additional downtown satellite tents, an additional grilling seminar and a brand new cooking class focused on Caribbean cuisine.

“Renata Dos Santos previously owned a restaurant down in Charleston, has moved up to the area and is starting a food truck with River Girl Fishing Company in Todd. I found out that Caribbean food is her expertise, so I asked her to do a cooking class,” said Rogers. “She’s from Trinidad and Tabago, so this is really her forte. I’m looking forward to it and she is going to be outstanding.”

Each seminar or class will feature a small group, which means a better and more personal experience for each attendee.

Tickets to the four-day festival activities are on sale now on the SAVOR Blowing Rock website. Flip through the event schedule for information on each individual program and find out how and where to get tickets.

Rogers recommends getting your tickets early, as many events are already selling out fast!

“We have music, we have wine tastings in several locations and it’s very walk-able. It’s not all in one little area,” Rogers said. “The event takes place all over town. You walk through everything, and Blowing Rock is such a pretty place. It will be gorgeous and such a great way to spend a beautiful weekend.”