September 2017 Food & Drink Happenings ~ Nashville

Sweet Relief: Nashville Food Blogger Bake Sale

Saturday, September 9th, 2017
Noon – 4 pm (or until the goodies are gone!)

Tailgate Brewery
7300 Charlotte Pike
Nashville, TN 37209

Cost: FREE admission; kid and family friendly

Seven years ago we had our first Sweet Relief bake sale to raise money for flood relief here in our city of Nashville. That little bake sale we threw together raised over $1000 and actually led to the formation of Nashville Food Bloggers. In 2012 we held our second bake sale and raised over $1,500 for Hurrican Sandy relief efforts. Now, here we are again, coming together to bring some sweet relief to those affected by Hurricane Harvey. All proceeds from the event will benefit Houston Food Bank and their efforts to provide food, water and supplies to victims of the recent hurricane.

Come join us at Tailgate Brewery on Saturday to purchase some goodies for a great cause. A majority of treats will be priced at $2 each, which is a total steal considering these items are coming from some of the best bakers in town. Some are actually pros, while others have just dedicated themselves to learning the art of baking through the years. Either way, I promise you, you will not be disappointed in the array and quality of desserts!

For more information on the sale, visit the event post on the Nashville Food Bloggers website.

Music City Food & Wine

Grand Tasting and Chef Showcase at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park

Friday, September 15th & Saturday, September 16th, 2017
Friday 6 – 10 pm
Saturday 11 am – 4 pm
Cost: $165 for 1 day Pass

Harvest Night at Walk of Fame Park

Saturday, September 16th, 2017
7 – 9:30 pm
Cost: $275/person

All-in Pass for Friday night, Saturday and Saturday night: $525/person

Gospel Brunch at Walk of Fame Park

Sunday, September 17th, 2017
11:30 am – 2:30 pm
Cost: $85/person

Ch-ch-cha-changes… there have been a few made to Music City Food & Wine this year! You know what they say- change is good, and I really do think we’re going to like these.This will be the fifth year for the event, and I’ve had the pleasure of attending every year so far, and it truly has gotten better every year. (If you’re interested, you can get a look at my experiences from 2013 here , 2014 here , 2015 here and 2016 here.)

So what exactly are these changes? Well, for starters, they’ve moved up the start of the event to Friday night instead of beginning on Saturday.  Now the first opportunity you have for the Grand Taste tents is on Friday night, with a second day on Saturday. Then, they turned Sunday’s Gospel Brunch component into its own day, at its own park, with a different lineup of chefs than the other days.

For this year’s full schedule, click here and to see the talent involved, click here. Celebrity chef demos and panel discussions run simultaneously with Grand Taste, so you can flit back and forth between food stations and tents, and never feel like you’re missing out on anything. I’ve been asked by many people if I think this event is worth the price tag. As far as the 1-day passes go, I absolutely do. As for the Harvest Night– well, if you have the money, it’s fun. If I was watching my budget and had to make a choice of it or one of the Grand Taste events? I’d skip Harvest Night.

Gospel Brunch? Well, since it’s the first year, I don’t know exactly what to expect. What I do know is that every year Sunday has been my favorite day of the festival, and I loved the gospel brunch component. I’m hopeful that it will be more of the same vibe and types of food I’ve come to love, but we’ll just have to wait and see!

To purchase tickets, or for more detailed information, visit the Music City Food + Wine website. Hope to see some of you there :-)

Le Creuset Factory-to-Table Sale

Early VIP Access
Thursday, September 28th, 2017
4 – 9 pm
Cost: $25

Friday and Saturday, September 29th and 30th, 2017
9 am – 7 pm
Cost: $10

Sunday, October 1st, 2017
10 am – 5 pm
Cost: Free with donation of pantry item for Second Harvest

Music City Center
201 5th Ave S
Nashville, TN 37203

If you love to cook, then chances are you’ve lusted over a piece of Le Creuset cookware at some point in your life. I know I have. When I heard that they’d decided to have their third ever Factory-to-Table sale event here in Nashville, I immediately marked my calendar. You see, these sales offer special discounts on a huge selection of their products from around the world,  “including colors and shapes rarely seen in the American marketplace.” I’m in.

Tickets are available for purchase in two-hour shopping sessions here for Friday and Saturday. Sunday is free-of-charge with pre-registration online and the donation of a pantry item*.

But- if you’re super serious about purchasing some unique pieces like I am, then you might want to splurge and get the VIP ticket for Thursday evening’s special event, which grants early access to the sale. It also includes demos and meet-and-greets with some local chefs, live music, yummy bites and sips while you shop.  You can purchase tickets for the VIP Hospitality Event here.

*Le Creuset has tapped Music City-based nonprofits The Nashville Food Project and Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee as the benefiting charity partners of the Nashville Factory-to-Table sale event. One hundred percent of ticket sale proceeds from the VIP Hospitality Event and the Friday and Saturday shopping sessions will be distributed to both organizations and shoppers can visit respective Nashville Food Project and Second Harvest tables throughout the weekend to learn more about their missions and ways to get involved. Additionally, in lieu of a $10 ticket, Le Creuset is asking all attendees of the Sunday shopping sessions on October 1 to bring pantry items to donate to Second Harvest. The Middle Tennessee food bank’s most-needed items include peanut butter, canned meat (chicken or tuna), canned vegetables, canned fruit, pasta and cereal.