Chow Chow Food + Culture Festival

Chow Chow Food + Cultural Festival returns to Asheville September 7 to 10, 2023, reverting back to its original long-weekend festival model and packing the days and nights with memorable experiences. 

With newly appointed executive director Melissa Scheiderer at the helm, Chow Chow aims to celebrate and enrich the foodways of Southern Appalachia and Asheville’s creative economy. An immersive lineup of dinners, workshops, performances, tastings, talks, and demonstrations will take place across the city of Asheville, anchored in the heart of downtown at Pack Square Park by a main stage and makers’ market. Tickets for the festival’s signature tasting events, chef dinners, and workshops will go on sale in April.

Led by its community of chefs, makers, artists, farmers, storytellers, and entrepreneurs, the festival was founded in 2019 by a group of Asheville’s most iconic residents, including James Beard Award-winning chefs Katie Button, Meherwan Irani, and John Fleer alongside East Fork’s co-founder Connie Matisse. The goal was to showcase Asheville’s creative spirit and community mindset. 

“Living in Asheville in this moment in its history is absolutely thrilling, and I’m honored to have the privilege of rallying so many talented, passionate people around celebrating the uniqueness of our region,” Scheiderer says. “[The festival] has established an incredible foundation to build on, and I’m inspired by the plans that are forming around this year’s festival. I feel confident it will deepen our appreciation for the beauty, creativity, and innovation all around us.”

Announcements about ticket sales, speaker announcements, and more, will be made at chowchowasheville.com and @chowchow_avl.