Salt and Smoke and Sound Festival 2025

The inaugural Salt & Smoke & Sound Festival will be held Saturday, October18th at Blackwood Farm Park between Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. The exciting new community event merges together two beloved festivals–Acme’s Salt & Smoke and Sonark Media’s Harvest Festival–into a celebration of food, culture, and music in a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere.

“Salt & Smoke & Sound features renowned chefs, pitmasters, and brewers, alongside a curated lineup of musicians and performers,” said festival co-founder Steven Raets of Sonark Media, who also produced the ten-part music series Live from the Barn on PBS-TV. “Our goal is to deliver top-tier live music and food and to bring this community together annually for a day outdoors.”

Big Something headlines the music stage with The Tan & Sober Gentlemen, Rissi Palmer, Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba, Nothing Good, Ben Sollee, and My Brother’s Keeper rounding out the line-up. Additional acts and a schedule of performances will be announced soon.

Food will be provided by Acme’s Kevin Callaghan and a team of local chefs and food trucks offering a wide variety of dishes and dining options. The festival will feature craft beers, curated beverages, and other interesting spirit-free options. All food and drink will be available for purchase and is not included in the price of festival entry.

“We introduced Salt & Smoke over ten years ago as an annual party featuring barbecue, oysters, beer and music,” said festival co-founder Callaghan. “A pandemic and other life events derailed things for a few years so we’re excited to bring it back in partnership with Steven and Sonark. Trust us, you’ll still ‘Get Your South On’ but in a larger setting with even more great food and music.”

Located at 4215 NC-86 between Chapel Hill and Hillsborough, Blackwood Farm Park is a scenic and well-equipped venue that provides ample space for food vendors, music performances, and community engagement.

In addition to $39 individual tickets, Salt & Smoke & Sound is selling an Early Bird Full Car Package for $99, which includes 4 tickets and on-site parking for one vehicle. Parking at the festival will be limited and this package not only guarantees on-site parking, it offers a significant discount on the ticket price. 

Salt and Smoke and Sound Talent

Kevin Callaghan

Owner and Chef of Acme Food & Beverage Co in Carrboro, North Carolina

For more information on Salt & Smoke & Sound, please visit saltsmokesound.com or follow them on Instagram and Facebook.