Charleston Wine + Food released in a statement today that the 2021 festival, previously scheduled to be held March 3rd – 7th, has been canceled due to the “growing concerns around COVID-19 and the state of the industry that the organization exists to uplift.”
“This was a tough decision to make – this festival is an important event for the City of Charleston and our favorite way to bring people together to share stories and connect,” Steve Palmer, Chair of the Charleston Wine + Food Board of Directors, said. “However, the safety and security of our guests, participating talent, staff, vendors, and community is of the utmost importance and one that should take precedence above all else.”
“In place of the in-person 2021 festival, we’ll be offering new ways to uplift the culinary and hospitality community for whom the organization was created to promote and continue our efforts to make Charleston Wine + Food a more inclusive and equitable organization,” Gillian Zettler, Executive Director, said.
Charleston Wine + Food plans to debut a combination of community partnerships, digital content, and live-streamed conversations and events over the next nine months. Additionally, it plans to release its 2022 festival programming and schedule in the late spring of 2021. The 2022 festival is scheduled for March 2nd to 6th.
“While we can't predict what will happen in the next day, month or year, we do believe we will come together again to celebrate over wine and food,” Zettler said. “ Until then, our team will be working hard to design a 2022 festival filled with experiences to ignite a fire in your belly, and inspire curiosity in your heart.”
You can see the organization’s full statement here.
