Euphoria Greenville
Greenville, South Carolina
Foodies will delight in the culinary cornucopia at the Euphoria Greenville festival, September 17-20. With more than 30 events, there’s something for every taste bud. This year, the festival will celebrate its 10th anniversary with exclusive tasting events, cooking demonstrations and wine seminars, as well as multicourse dinners and live musical performances.
“What sets us apart from other festivals is the intimate experience,” said board member Taryn Scher. “The goal of our festival is to have 3,000 people who have access to the musicians, sommeliers and chefs.”
On Thursday night, the festival starts with three singer-songwriters who perform unplugged and talk about songwriting and life on the road while they strum and sing. That night, a whole-hog roast called Swine and Dine takes place in downtown Greenville. A local band provides entertainment.
On Friday, there’s a headliner concert, and local chefs serve up one or two dishes on small plates. Saturday’s cooking demo uses guest chefs. The Grand Tasting Event features more than 200 wines, a beer garden and craft artisan food purveyors who offer samples and specialty items for sale.
“Most every cuisine can be found, and if you’re adventurous, it’s foodie heaven. Every year it’s tweaked and gets better and better,” said Scher. “In the past we’ve headlined Thomas Keller and Guy Savoy, but we also pay attention to our local chefs and are proud of Greenville’s culinary scene.”
Wine dinners take place Saturday night. There’s also the Traffic Jam — a food truck event where the trucks park in a field for a tasting extravaganza. The Sunday jazz brunch wraps up the weekend with dozens of New Orleans-style food vendors and live jazz. But the ticketed Sunday supper is typically the best guest-chef event of the festival.
“We hear from the chefs that they look forward to coming because they make a whole weekend out of it and experience the festival beyond their one and two events,” said Scher. “That means festivalgoers are hanging out with the celebrity chefs that we invite.”
Richmond Folk Festival
Richmond, Virginia
There’s a cultural feast waiting at the Richmond Folk Festival. Situated on the James River in downtown Richmond, the event brings together American culture through music, dance, traditional crafts, storytelling and food. This event is an offshoot of the National Folk Festival, which has been hosted in 28 communities around the country and which was held for three years in downtown Richmond.
“We adhere to the literal definition of folk and traditional arts, which are those rooted in and reflective of the cultural life of a community,” said festival director Lisa Sims. “These are the best artists that you’ve never heard of.”
More than 30 performing groups play continuously on seven music stages. The Marketplace features artisans selling handcrafted and traditional items. The Virginia Folklife demonstration area features Virginia folk artists that specialize in traditional crafts from decoy carving to fiddle-making and country ham curing.
“The Folklife Program helps to ensure that Virginia’s treasured folkways continue to receive new life and vibrancy because there’s still someone carrying on this tradition today,” said Sims. “Arts are passed down through the generations.”
The folk arts marketplace features artisans selling handcrafted and traditional items, including jewelry, specialty items and original artwork. The Richmond Folk Festival Documentary Film Series connects to the Folklife area theme. Regional and ethnic foods range from festival fare to exotic flavors from far-flung places around the globe.
