2022 Annual Report

Our Mission:

To celebrate, educate, enrich, and promote the Lowcountry’s diverse culinary + hospitality community through world-class experiences.

Learn More

Our Purpose:

Recognition

To bring national + regional attention to the food scene in Charleston

Sustainability

To sustain itself as an organization and to assist in sustaining the culinary + hospitality community in the area

Philanthropy

To create meaningful partnerships that allow the organization to act as a good community steward

Education

To elevate the skills + knowledge of our local industry, to promote culinary traditions, and to offer one-on-one networking + skill building opportunities

Attendees

34,918

people attended the 2022 festival

75% female

Average age: 54

92.8% college educated

17.9% reported a household income of $150K +

49.2% reported a household income of $200K +

35.9%

out of town attendees

69.5%

stayed in paid accommodations

3.7 nights

average length of stay

In the Market For

91%

wine

85%

airline tickets

45%

kitchen equipment

29%

hotel room or vacation rental in Charleston

13%

television

13%

car

7%

credit card

5%

house in Charleston

Economic Impact

$26,593,791

Measured economic impact over 5 days

$1,329.02

average visitor spend per person

$585

average visitor spend per person at local restaurants + retail shops

88%

visited Charleston primarily to attend the festival

63.4%

stayed in accommodations in Downtown Charleston

16.8%

stayed in accommodations in North Charleston

8.2%

stayed in accommodations in Mount Pleasant

$1.6M

total state + local taxes generated

By the Numbers

1,144,675

total website views

10,467

mobile app users

29

musical performances

23,000+

pounds of glass recycled from Culinary Village

20,000

commemorative glasses distributed

200,000

small plates loaded with memorable bites

Social Media

Types of Events

The Lawn @ Culinary Village

With waterfront views, room to roam, and more space to sample + sip, the 2022 Culinary Village was an experience like no other. The festival expanded this year to beautiful Riverfront Park in the City of North Charleston. Beautified by water and convenient to the entire region, our new home was like one big welcome mat for our guests.

3 days
3 neighborhoods
13,777 Culinary Village attendees

NightCap

Music + food are connectors. They go hand-in-hand in building community, and they bring people together over shared experiences, cultural differences, and powerful storytelling. Music has always been a cornerstone of the festival and is a key component of the experiences we create. Rooted in connection + community, we were thrilled to gather in 2022 for the largest music + food pairing the festival has ever seen.

2 nights
3 headliners
5,047 attendees

Talent

167 Local Chefs

111 Visiting Chefs

55 Wine Professionals

47 Beer + Spirits

33 Artists, Musicians, and Experts

8 Farmers + Purveyors

Partnerships

It takes a village to put on a festival, and we are so grateful to our Partners who make this event possible.

Our 2022 Partners

NOTE: Attendee data reported in this annual report was obtained via an online survey designed using Qualtrics.com and distributed by College of Charleston Office of Tourism Analysis. The survey was sent via email to all ticket holders who purchased their tickets online. The response rate was 25%.

*Website metrics recorded July 1, 2021 – March 31, 2022

Header photo photography credit: Nick Cann @nickcannphoto