Tickets are now on sale (here) for Taste of Atlanta, the city’s award-winning food, craft beer, wine, and spirits festival showcasing the local restaurant scene. Held at Historic Fourth Ward Park, the 18th annual festival will take place over three days, from Friday, October 18 through Sunday, October 20, 2019, and feature more than 100 restaurants throughout the weekend, plus a Friday Opening Night Party, on-stage cooking demos, cooking classes and new this year, Food Districts, a more expansive VIP Experience, and a Saturday night concert.

• Opening Night Party (October 18): Kicking off on Friday with the Opening Night Party hosted by chef Nick Leahy of Aix and Tin Tin, the evening will bring together a roster of well-regarded local chefs who focus on sourcing ingredients locally and cooking seasonally. From 7:30-11 p.m., participating restaurants, including Kimball House, Tiny Lous, Bellina Alimentari, KR Steakbar, Table & Main, and dozens more, will serve tastings alongside wine, beer, and cocktails. Plus, the celebration will feature live music from Moontower and a portion of the evening’s proceeds will support Georgia Grown’s restaurant partnership program.
• Main Tasting Events (October 19 & 20): Bringing together chefs from neighborhoods across Atlanta and representing dozens of cuisines, Taste of Atlanta will serve as a destination to try bites from over 100 restaurants all in one place. Plus, this year’s festival will feature categorized Food Districts, including Tailgating, Buford Highway, Sunday Brunch, and more, and an expanded VIP Experience providing access to an all-inclusive festival area with tastings from around a dozen select restaurants and pours from craft beer, wine, and cocktail makers.
• Cooking Classes & Chef Demos (October 19 & 20): Sponsored by PeachDish, The Cook’s Warehouse and Sprouts, The Kitchen Workshop offers first-come, first-served, hands-on cooking classes for home cooks led by Atlanta chefs. Festival attendees can learn to cook a variety of cuisines, from Southern to Italian to vegan. Attendees will also get an inside view into the Atlanta culinary world at Chef’s Table and Home Plate Stages, where chefs will demonstrate how to prepare mouthwatering dishes and provide tastings of their creations. Cooking classes and chef demos are free for all Taste of Atlanta ticket holders to join.
• Saturday Night Concert (October 19): For the first time, Taste of Atlanta will continue into the evening on Saturday of festival weekend with a concert from 7-11 p.m. While the band remains a surprise until later this summer, attendees can expect sing-along, light rock hits from a favorite local band. Guests will be able to bring their own chairs and blankets to enjoy tunes on the lawn, and local food trucks will be selling bites for purchase alongside drinks.

Prior to the event, ticket holders will receive wristbands equipped with radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology, making Taste of Atlanta a cashless festival. The wristbands are pre-loaded with Taste Points which can be used for drink and merchandise purchases as well as food tastings, ranging from one to three points each. Wristbands track tastes sampled and provide attendees with a post-event tasting list, giving all ticket holders a customized roundup of restaurant recommendations for future dining out. 

Tickets to Taste of Atlanta can be purchased here. Early Bird tickets are available now through July 31 and are $65 for the Opening Night Party, $25 for General Admission and $75 for VIP Experience. Early Bird tickets include an additional five Taste Points, giving General Admission and VIP Experience ticket holders 15 Taste Points to enjoy throughout the festival’s General Admission area. Additional points can be purchased for $1 each online or at Taste Point Banks located throughout the festival.

Beginning August 1, tickets to Friday’s all-inclusive Opening Night Party will be $75 in advance and $85 at the door. General Admission tickets for the weekend’s main tasting events include 10 Taste Points and cost $30 in advance and $40 at the door. VIP Experience tickets cost $80 in advance and $90 at the door and also include 10 taste points to use in the General Admission area. 

Tickets for the Saturday night concert will be available for purchase later this summer.

Lyft is the preferred rideshare partner for Taste of Atlanta, offering attendees 20 percent off one ride (up to $5) with a code to be announced this fall. For every Lyft ride taken to or from the festival, the rideshare company will donate six pounds of food to Second Helpings Atlanta.