Our Mission:
To celebrate, educate, enrich, and promote the Lowcountry’s diverse culinary + hospitality community through world-class experiences.
2023 Annual Report
Our Purpose:
Attendees
38,368
people attended the 2023 festival
73% female
Average age: 47.8
93% college educated
42.64%
out of town attendees
75.8%
stayed in paid accommodations
4.3 nights
average length of stay
By the Numbers
1,615,922,168
total media reach
11,581,660
media impressions
244
featured articles
91% positive sentiment
top placements include Forbes, SAVEUR, VinePair, The Local Palate
992,187
total website views
302,000
website users
7,947
mobile app users
top states for web traffic: SC, GA, NC, VA, NY, FL, CA, OH, TX, MI
18,000
oysters shucked
178
minority businesses supported
Events hosted across
10
cities + towns
8,868 miles
the farthest a chef traveled, from Chiang Mai, Thailand
4,713 miles
the farthest a winemaker traveled, from Livorno, Italy
Talent hailed from
6 countries and 30 states
Sustainability
2023 Festival Programming
Culinary Village
For foodies, true joy comes from experiencing all that food brings to the table: exploration, discovery, connection, and joy – on the plate, in the glass, and around the table. Set against a landscape like no other, enter the Culinary Village where you’ll find a creative playground dishing out the flavors of Charleston on a diverse + generous plate; a celebratory platform for the contrasts that create this flavor; and a connecting force for the community + industry.
3 days
of flavor-packed fun
17,365
Culinary Village attendees
90 chef demos
totaling 114,175 bites of food
73
South Carolina-based exhibitors
17 vineyards + wineries in the Corkyard
17 breweries in the Beer Garden
62 artisans + vendors sampling + selling artisanal product and bespoke goods
City of Charleston Wine + Food Street Fest
The first-ever City of Charleston Wine + Food Street Fest, located in the heart of downtown along King Street, was a celebration of all things local. The free, family-friendly event showcased a diverse sampling of small businesses, food trucks, live music, entertainment, and a surprise appearance by the Burke High School Marching Band and Mayor Tecklenberg.
3,600+ attendees
from Downtown Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, James Island, and more
30+
local businesses featured
“The event was totally awesome. I love when when the community comes together it shows love, unity, family, food, music, laughter, and all on one accord, that’s the Charleston I love and Street Fest did just that.” – From a participating local business
Giving Back
We think Charleston is a pretty special place that is filled with talented professionals, businesses, and entrepreneurs. It makes us proud to reinvest directly into our local businesses + community.
Culinary Scholars
One of our core purposes as an organization is elevating the skills + knowledge of our local industry. In our efforts to regenerate + resource the next generation of culinary + hospitality talent in the Lowcountry – a destination known worldwide for its food, culture, and charm – the Charleston Wine + Food Culinary Scholars Program was born.
35 students
representing four CCSD High School Culinary Programs
500
hours worked
The Culinary Scholars Program enabled students to learn, work, and gain experience in the culinary + hospitality industry. Students experienced work-based learning on site during the festival, earned wages, and acquired academic credit that can count towards the requirement of the Career and Technology Education Program.
Participating Talent
179 Local Chefs
109 Visiting Chefs
65 Wine Professionals
98 Beer + Spirits Professionals
29 artists, musicians, and experts
10 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.
A Wine + Food Festival with Many Layers – Just Like You
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 23.6%.
*Website metrics recorded July 1, 2022 – March 31, 2023