MEDIA ALERT…
May 27, 2015
HOW TO NAVIGATE THE 5th ANNIVERSARY ATLANTA FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL
This Thursday, May 28 to Sunday, May 31, 2015 in Midtown Atlanta
ATLANTA: This weekend, the fifth annual Atlanta Food & Wine Festival returns to Midtown welcoming the
South’s culinary greats from Texas to DC. We’ve provided some quick pointers below to help navigate you
through the Festival and to insure a memorable 2015 AF&WF experience.
The Atlanta Food & Wine Festival is the first culinary weekend in the nation dedicated to showcasing the
rich food and beverage traditions of the Southern region. The weekend offers three distinct activities:
 Learning Experiences – more than 100 cooking and cocktail classes, tasting seminars and panel
discussions all located at the Loews Atlanta Hotel in Midtown. Guests are encouraged to reserve
their seats prior to the Festival as classes are selling out daily. The following color system will be
in place Festival weekend to help guests attend classes that are still available. Please pay
attention to the flags stationed outside each classroom to know if the class is at capacity or has
open seats:
o Red – When a red flag is positioned outside a classroom, that class is sold out and
cannot seat anymore guests.
o Yellow - When a yellow flag is positioned outside a classroom, that class is almost at
capacity and can potentially fit a few more guests.
o Green – When a green flag is positioned outside a classroom, that class has available
seating. Feel free to join in on the fun!
 Tasting Tents – a showcase of the region’s top talents and flavors are in the Festival Tasting
Tents, which have been curated by the chefs and industry experts and are organized in a series of
“trails” that showcase the best flavors of the region and other Southern regions around the
globe.
 Dinners & Events – throughout the weekend special dinners and parties with out-of-town chefs,
mixologists and sommeliers will take place nightly beginning Thursday, May 28.
GENERAL EVENT SCHEDULE:
Thursday, May 28
7:00pm
Evening Dinners & Events
Around Town
Friday, May 29
11:00am – 12:00pm
12:00pm – 2:30pm
3:00pm – 6:00pm
6:30pm
A Toast – Festival Kick-Off Event
Learning Experiences
Tasting Tents
Evening Dinners & Events
Loews Hotel – Hotel Lobby
Loews Hotel
12th & Peachtree Walk
Around Town
Saturday, May 30
10:00am – 2:00pm
2:00pm – 5:00pm
7:30pm
Learning Experiences
Tasting Tents
Evening Dinners & Events
Loews Hotel
12th & Peachtree Walk
Around Town
Navigating AF&WF continued
Sunday, May 31
11:00am – 12:00pm
12:30am – 1:30pm
1:30pm – 4:30pm
Sunday Brunch
Learning Experiences
Tasting Tents
Loews Hotel
Loews Hotel
12th & Peachtree Walk
21 AND OVER EVENT:
Guests must be 21-years or older to enter an AF&WF event. Children, even the Founders’ children, are not
allowed. Absolutely no exceptions.
AF&WF APP:
Make sure to download the official Atlanta Food & Wine Festival App to get the latest news and updates
on the Festival. To download the app, visit: www.atlfoodandwinefestival.com/app. The Festival is excited
to introduce a new component to the app this year – iBeacon. Guests will be able to use iBeacon to guide
themselves through the Tasting Tents and alert them when they approach a new Trail. Through iBeacon,
guests will be able to access all types of information about each Trail and the Exhibitors. The app is
available for free on both Apple and Android devices.
ATTIRE:
Guests should dress casually and comfortably during the day. Learning Experiences will be in the Loews
meeting rooms with air conditioning. Tasting Tents are outdoors. Events not taking place at the Loews
Hotel are planned to generally be within walking distance. Please wear shoes you are comfortable walking
in. For evening events, appropriate dinner attire should be worn: women dressy casual and men sports
coat no tie. Shorts and t-shirts are not considered appropriate attire for evening events.
CREDENTIALS:
Guests are required to wear their credentials and/or event wristbands. Credentials must be picked up at
the Welcome Center (see below) and will not be replaced if lost or stolen.
FESTIVAL PROGRAM & MAP:
You can pick up a Festival Program at the Welcome Center, along with a copy of the Map. There is also a
downloadable site map located at: www.atlfoodandwinefestival.com/planning-tools
HANDICAP ACCESS:
The Festival team have worked to provide an easy and enjoyable experience for every patron. Handicap
parking is available in surrounding pay and private lots at the Festival site. Elevators are located in the
Loews Hotel for easy accessibility to the 14th Floor.
HYDRATION STATIONS:
Water stations will be set up throughout the Festival Tasting Tents. Outside water, drinks and food are
not permitted inside the Tasting Tents.
ITEMS ALLOWED:
Small handbags are permitted but will be subject to search upon entry to Festival events and classes. Nonprofessional recording point and shoot photography equipment are allowed.
ITEMS NOT ALLOWED:
For the convenience and safety of all Festival guests, the following items are not permitted – chairs,
musical instruments, laser pointers, walkie-talkies, coolers, grills, picnic baskets, outside food and drink,
professional camera equipment and recording devices, cameras with detachable lenses or video
capabilities, roller skates/blades, bikes, scooters, skateboards, pets, weapons of any kind, fireworks or
explosives of any kind, illegal or illicit substances of any kind (paraphernalia), bags larger than 16" x 16" x
8" (permitted bags subject to search), glass containers, metal aerosol cans including sunscreen, carts,
tents, unauthorized/unlicensed vendors or unauthorized solicitations, handbills, sampling, giveaways etc.
Navigating AF&WF continued
Outside alcoholic beverages are not allowed in the Festival due to the Fulton County and Atlanta City
ordinances.
NEIGHBORS:
We love our Festival neighbors. We are moving in for the weekend and want them to feel the same about
us. PLEASE be respectful of them and their property at all times during the Festival.
PARKING:
Parking is available throughout Midtown with special rates at the following locations:
 10 Tenth Street (10th & West Peachtree Street). Enter off West Peachtree.
 11th & Juniper Street. Enter off 11th Street.
 Loews Atlanta Hotel Self-Parking (11th & Peachtree Street). Enter off 11th Street.
Guests are also strongly encouraged to take MARTA to the Festival. The Midtown Station is just three
blocks from the hotel and Welcome Center. Take the Red or Gold line and depart at the Midtown station,
exit on the north side of 10th Street and walk north to 11th Street, turn right and continue two blocks
east to 11th & Juniper to pick up your Festival credential. You can visit www.itsmarta.com to plan your
trip.
PETS:
We love pets! However, we ask you to leave your pets at home. This is not only for the convenience of our
patrons, but also for the well-being of your pets.
PHOTOGRAPHY & FESTIVAL VIDEO:
The Festival will have official still photography and video crews on site all weekend long. Should you
need any type of photography, please do let us know at media check-in. We will make sure to
accommodate all requests in a timely fashion.
SMOKING:
Smoking onsite is NOT permitted at the Loews Hotel, Tasting Tents or any of the Festival’s Dinner and
Events.
SOCIAL MEDIA LOUNGE:
Located in the Chastain Room on the 14th Floor – guests who carry Day Pass credentials are welcome to
recharge their digital devices, take break, and enjoy light refreshments.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
The Festival is excited and proud of the active following it has through social media outlets. Our main
community will engage through the following portals:
 Festival website:
www.atlfoodandwinefestival.com
 Facebook:
www.facebook.com/atlfoodandwinefestival
 Instagram:
www.instagram.com/atlfoodandwine
 Twitter:
www.twitter.com/atlfoodandwine
 Hashtag:
#AFWF15 and #DiscoverSouthern
WEATHER:
The Atlanta Food & Wine Festival is a rain or shine event.
WELCOME CENTER:
All Festival attendees must check in at the Welcome Center to pick up credentials. The Welcome Center is
located at 11th Street and Juniper directly behind the Loews Atlanta Hotel.
Navigating AF&WF continued
Hours:
Thursday, May 28 – Friday, May 29
Saturday, May 30
Sunday, May 31
9:00am – 6:30pm
9:00am – 6:00pm
9:00am – 4:00pm
Tasting Tent wristbands be picked up at the Welcome Center or Tasting Tent Will Call. Will Call is located
at 12th Street and Peachtree Walk and opens up 30 minutes prior to each Tasting Tent session.
Tickets may also be purchased on-site at the Welcome Center. Here are the tickets currently available:
 Friday Day Pass
 Friday Tasting Tent
 Sunday Day Pass (very limited)
 Sunday Tasting Tent
 Connoisseur Friday, Saturday or Sunday Day Pass
 Connoisseur 3-Day Pass
 Select Dinners and Evening Events
About Atlanta Food & Wine Festival
Launched in 2011, by Atlanta entrepreneurs Dominique Love and Elizabeth Feichter, the Atlanta Food &
Wine Festival is a four-day culinary experience celebrating the South. With an Advisory Council of more
than 80 award-winning talent from 13 Southern states and the District of Columbia, Atlanta Food & Wine
Festival offers carefully-crafted programs and events to entertain and educate consumer about the rich
food and beverage traditions of the region. The Festival also celebrates the flavors of other Southern
regions around the globe including Southern Europe, South Africa, South America, Southern Hemisphere
(Australia and New Zealand) and South-of-the-Border for Mexico. Atlanta Food & Wine Festival returns to
Midtown Atlanta Thursday, May 28 – Sunday, May 31, 2015. For more information or to purchase tickets,
visit www.atlfoodandwinefestival.com. Follow Atlanta Food & Wine Festival on Facebook and Twitter.
#AFWF15
Media Contacts:
360 Media, Inc. - Tara Murphy or Bree Diah | 404-577-8686 or [email protected]
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