The Natchez Food and Wine Festival is FINALLY back after a five-year sabbatical and will now be housed under the 501c6 non-profit Natchez Chamber of Commerce showcasing the Natchez Stewpot as the charity recipient of the festival. The economic impact to the Natchez area brings over 400 heads on beds and revenue for the downtown merchants, restaurants, and nightlife. The festival retired in 2018 but the event which many people are so excited of its return, is scheduled for July 27-29, 2023. It will be held on the Bluff in downtown Natchez as well as several establishments and mansions around town. The main focus of the festival is to bring visitors into Natchez during one of the slowest months of the year, educate others about culinary trends, experiences and wine, and to celebrate all of the wonderful food offerings of this region.
Dickie Brennan,
The Friday evening July 28th “Tastings Along the River” is the main highlight of the weekend long festival, and the master of Ceremonies for this event is MC Dickie Brennan, a trained chef and third generation New Orleans restauranteur of the renowned Brennan family. Dickie helped New Orleans institution Commander’s Palace lead the American Regional Cuisine movement by introducing the world to Cajun and Creole cooking. He is dedicated to serving modern and inventive Creole cuisine which builds upon the fundamentals established by his father, Dick Brennan Sr.. Dickie is also a founding member of the New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute (NOCHI). After many years of witnessing a void within hospitality training in his home city, he set out to make a change. Since 2013, he has collaborated with a talented group of industry veterans to create and nurture New Orleans own premier hospitality and culinary school.
Tastings Along the River has achieved from an average of 200 tickets sold to over 800 tickets per year, and from 10 booths to over 25 booths of Chef’s from the river region, New Orleans, St. Francisville, Baton Rouge, and Natchez. There will also be participants from the Jackson area, Delta region, and Memphis along with regional wine vendors as well as independent beer brewers. And of course, there are many local chefs, food vendors, Visit Natchez, and Visit MS with volunteers from Leadership Natchez that are helping make the event a reality.
In addition to the Friday night event, there will be a new Thursday event Friend of James Beard Benefit that will be a 100% donation to the world-famous culinary foundation that bestows the “Oscars of the Food World” to outstanding chefs each year. This benefit program gives restaurants that were hit by COVID an opportunity to stay open through the non-profit resources.
On Saturday, the Farmer’s Market will have cooking demonstrations of the regions local produce and resources. There will be the Wine and Cheese Tasting at The Castle Restaurant, and Cathead Mixology at Smoots along with several smaller cooking and educational demonstrations at Regina’s Kitchen. Bocce, Blues and Brews will have a casual evening event at Natchez Brewing Co or dress up for the formal Invitation to the Natchez Table. Guest Chefs and wine vintners prepare a 4 to 5 course meal with wine and drink pairings in several Mansions around town.
Save the date. See you there!
