by Kristen Wile

The Charlotte StrEATs Festival, a celebration of the city’s culinary scene, will return to Uptown this spring. Co-hosted by Unpretentious Palate as part of Charlotte SHOUT!, the festival will celebrate its third year in 2024 with the StrEATs Tasting Tour on Saturday, April 13 and a free festival on Sunday, April 14. This year’s festival will build on previous years, including StrEATs Uncorked, a new event focused on highlighting regional cuisine in North Carolina as well as wine regions across the state.

The Charlotte StrEATs Festival’s Tasting Tour aims to give diners the chance to explore the diverse personalities of the city’s vibrant neighborhoods through sampling the fare of the restaurants that are the backbone of each part of town. Tickets are on sale now, with an exclusive $10 discount for Unpretentious Palate Members using the code UPMEMBER24 through Feb. 15. Guests will also enjoy craft cocktails, live music, stage demonstrations, and more. VIP guests get early access and a cookbook from our celebrity chef guest, who will be announced soon. Previous guests include Food Network chefs Alex Guarnaschelli and Amanda Freitag.

Sunday’s festival curates the city’s most beloved food vendors, as well as a cocktail tasting, celebrity chef demonstration, and our neighborhood cook-off, where chefs will compete head-to-head to earn their neighborhood the title of champion and take home a cash prize.

Kicking off this year is StrEATs Uncorked on April 3, where chefs will educate guests on regional cuisines across the state. Some of the state’s best wineries will be on hand, and guests can learn about the various wine regions of the state and what varietals thrive here while sampling their products. The event takes place at Johnson & Wales, with educational programming and guided tastings take place in the auditorium.

Charlotte SHOUT!, a celebration of music, art, ideas, and food throughout Uptown, takes place March 29-April 14 this year.