Signature Events

SOLD OUT
NEW FOR 2023

VIP Weekender Plus

November 9th-12th, 2023
Various Locations, Highlands, NC
$2100 per person

($125 charitable donation included) + taxes & fees

  • Includes VIP access to 5 signature events: The Grand Tasting, Truckin’, Main Event, 
    Shot of Redemption, and A Generous Pour
  • Inclusive of all food and beverage – including sponsored beer, wine, and spirits
  • Ability to pick up wristbands in advance of The Grand Tasting and other events at festival box office to allow for quick entry
  • Exclusive VIP “Fast Lane” entry at each event
  • VIP Gift Bag with special gifts from our sponsors
  • Access to VIP area at Truckin’ with dedicated bar, exclusive food & beverage offerings, and prime stage viewing
  • Access to VIP area at Main Event with dedicated bar, exclusive food & beverage offerings, and prime stage viewing
  • Access to VIP area at A Shot at Redemption with dedicated bar, exclusive food & beverage offerings, and prime stage viewing

A portion of your ticket purchase will benefit Highlands Festivals’ charitable beneficiaries. We thank you for your generosity. If you would like a receipt for tax purposes, please email us at info@highlandsfoodandwine.com.

VIP Weekender

Does not include A Generous Pour
November 9th-12th, 2023
Various Locations, Highlands, NC
$1600 per person

($100 charitable donation included) + taxes & fees

  • Includes VIP access to 4 signature events: The Grand Tasting, Truckin’, Main Event, and
    A Shot at Redemption
  • Inclusive of all food and beverage – including beer, wine, and spirits
  • Ability to pick up wristbands in advance of The Grand Tasting and other events at festival box office to allow for quick entry
  • Exclusive VIP “Fast Lane” entry at each event
  • VIP Gift Bag with special gifts from our sponsors
  • Access to VIP area at Truckin’ with dedicated bar, exclusive food & beverage offerings, and prime stage viewing
  • Access to VIP area at Main Event with dedicated bar, exclusive food & beverage offerings, and prime stage viewing
  • Access to VIP area at A Shot at Redemption with dedicated bar, exclusive food & beverage offerings, and prime stage viewing

A portion of your ticket purchase will benefit Highlands Festivals’ charitable beneficiaries. We thank you for your generosity. If you would like a receipt for tax purposes, please email us at info@highlandsfoodandwine.com.

SOLD OUT
Sponsored by Allen Tate Realtors
Thursday, November 9, 7-10:00pm
The Bascom: A Center for the Visual Arts
$295 per person

($25 charitable donation included) + taxes & fees

Get an early start to the weekend at Grand Tasting, Highlands Food & Wine’s kick-off event. Enjoy exquisite small plates from world-class chefs from the Cashier-Highlands Plateau and throughout the Southeast. Sample red, white and sparkling wines from around the world, craft cocktails craft brews, plus craft cocktails and brews.

Sponsored by Wilson Gas
Friday, November 10, 1:00 - 4:30 pm
Kelsey-Hutchison Founders Park, Highlands, NC 28741
$295 per person

($25 charitable donation included) + taxes & fees

Keep Truckin’ along at our Friday afternoon funfest in Highlands. Nosh on dishes from innovative food trucks and vendors while enjoying craft cocktails and the “Highway to Ale” craft brews area.

SOLD OUT
Sponsored by Berkshire Hathaway Meadow Mountains Realty
Saturday, November 11, 12:00 - 3:30 pm
Main Street
$350 per person

($25 charitable donation included) + taxes & fees

Welcome to The Main Event, where foodies and wine lovers alike will gather to jam on Highlands’ iconic Main Street. Partake in the ultimate oyster roast, savor small plates by esteemed chefs, and enjoy craft cocktails, cold brews, and of course fantastic wines.

Sponsored by Highlands Vacation Rentals
Saturday, November 11, 8:00 - 10:00 pm
Highlands Performing Arts Center
$500 per person

($25 charitable donation included) + taxes & fees

Highlands Food & Wine is proud to announce the return of A Generous Pour, our concert with a heart.  Guests will enjoy hosted beer, wine, spirits, and culinary surprises, all while supporting the Louis Osteen Legacy Scholarship at Culinary Institute of America. Bottoms up!

This is a seated event. Seating allocations to be determined prior to guest arrival.

Sunday, November 12, 12:00 - 3:00 pm
Kelsey-Hutchinson Park
$295 per person

($25 charitable donation included) + taxes & fees

Go to church Highlands Food & Wine-style at A Shot at Redemption, our take on Sunday brunch. Our famous Bloody Mary bar, flavorful bites, and spirits-lifting sounds by The Harlem Gospel Travelers opening for The War & Treaty. Wrap up your Highlands Food & Wine experience in one beautiful and delicious bow.

Wine Dinners & Specialty Events

Garden & Gun wtih Blade & Bow Brunch Experience

Celebrate the final day of the Highlands Food & Wine Festival, and join HMH for a special brunch experience in partnership with Garden & Gun and Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Guests are invited to HMH’s cozy in-hotel restaurant, the Ruffed Grouse Tavern, for a savory meal prepared by chef Rodney Smith, paired with creative Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey cocktails and live bluegrass music. The event promises a morning of memorable food, live tunes, and warm hospitality. Space is limited, so secure your tickets now.

Tickets for 10AM Seating

Tickets for 12PM Seating

Ruffed Grouse Tavern
Sunday November 12th, 10am or 12pm
$55-$70

Farm Harvest Dinner & Barn Dance

Featuring music from the Back Porch Orchestra

Chefs of Madison’s Restaurant will prepare farm-fresh ingredients from Sunburst Trout Farms, Anson Mills and Painted Hills Beef, accompanied by music from the Back Porch Orchestra.

The Farm at Old Edwards
November 10
$210 per person plus tax and gratuity
SOLD OUT

2nd Annual Highlands Harvest Lunch

Celebrate the magic of wine country harvest season

Celebrate the magic of wine country harvest season at our 2nd annual Highlands Harvest Lunch! Acclaimed Chef + local favorite Ken Naron will prepare a bountiful lunch featuring classic French fare with a Southern twist including charcuterie, Coq au Vin + Boeuf Bourguignon accompanied by 15+ Sommelier-selected wines from beloved wine regions including Napa Valley, Champagne, Burgundy, Portugal + Austria.

*Experience the exquisite DAOU Patrimony Cabernet Sauvignon + Caves des Lions wines in our cellar with special guest DAOU’s own Marcus Brinkerhoff for an additional $50/per person.

Highlands Wine Shoppe
Friday, November 10th from 12-4pm
$150 per person

The Spirit of Sonora

A guided tasting of the Mezcal / Bacanora agave distillates from Santo Cuviso.

Come enjoy a guided tasting of the Mezcal / Bacanora agave distillates from Santo Cuviso led by partner and North American representative JT Fields, along with Ana Coppel from the Santo Cuviso family ranch.  This experience will include hot and cold small bites from Highlands Smokehouse, hosted on the new covered porch.

Highlands Smokehouse
Friday, November 10th, 4-5:30pm
$60 pp

On The Verandah Dinner

featuring the wines of Rutherford’s Round Pond Estate

Dinner begin at 6:00 PM with a reception to include wine and hors d’oeuvres, followed by a seated multi-course dinner with wine pairings.

On the Verandah
November 10, 6:00 p.m.
$200 per person plus tax and gratuity.

Catch & Release signature dinner

With the Highlands Food & Wine Festival, G&G hosts a festive evening in celebration of bourbon and culinary excellence. Guests are invited to a cocktail hour with Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, featuring creative cocktails and tunes by folk-rock band Brother Oliver, followed by a seated multi-course dinner prepared by Charleston’s 167 Raw. A sea-to-table menu includes pairings of craft wines by Tarpon Cellars at the iconic Flat Mountain Farm in the Highlands. The evening concludes with a live performance by singer-songwriter Katie Pruitt. Download Know before you go PDF.

Flat Mountain Farm
November 10, 6-9pm
$300++
SOLD OUT

Celebrating the Northern Rhone

with Master Sommelier + Master of Wine, Eric Hemer.

This not-to-be-missed seminar features special guest Eric Hemer, one of only 4 people in the world to have achieved the Master of Wine + Master Sommelier certifications. Eric will guide lucky tasters through the fascinating terroir of France‘s Northern Rhône region exploring elegant, expressive wines including Condrieu, Hermitage, St. Joseph + more.

Highlands Wine Shoppe
Sat, Nov 11th 2-4pm
$150 per person

Single Vineyard Napa with Nickel & Nickel

Special Guest Kimberly Unterreiner

Established by the partners of Far Niente in 1997, Nickel & Nickel is an iconic winery focused on 100% varietal, single-vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Special Guest Kimberly Unterreiner will guide lucky tasters through a selection of wines from legendary vineyards including Branding Iron, CC Ranch, Vaca Vista + more!

Highlands Wine Shoppe
Saturday, November 11th 5-7pm
$150 per person

On the Verandah Dinner

Featuring Gundlach-Bundschu head winemaker Hernan Valverde

Dinner begin at 6:00 PM with a reception to include wine and hors d’oeuvres, followed by a seated multi-course dinner with wine pairings.

On the Verandah
November 11, 6:00 p.m.
$200 per person plus tax and gratuity

Wolfgang’s Dinner

Featuring Caymus Vineyards

Wolfgang’s will welcome a representative from famed Napa Valley winery, Caymus Vineyards on Saturday, November 11. The evening begins with a champagne reception at 6:30 pm

Wolfgang's Restaurant & Wine Bistro
November 11, 6:30 p.m.
$210 per person plus tax and gratuity

Annual Bourbon Dinner

Featuring Weldon Mills, Breckenridge, Wilderness Trail and Blade and Bow distillers

4118 Kitchen & Bar will host their annual bourbon dinner on Saturday November 11 with Weldon Mills, Breckenridge, Wilderness Trail and Blade and Bow distillers

4118 Kitchen & Bar
November 11
$190 plus tax and gratuity

Daytime Excursions

Check Back Later. More Daytime Excursions to Come!

Associate Festival Sponsors

Celebrating fabulous food, exquisite wine, and world-class music