Natchez Food & Wine Festival 2025

One of the most highly anticipated culinary events in Mississippi, the Natchez Food & Wine Festival attracts top chefs and restaurateurs from throughout the Gulf South. Each summer, they gather in Natchez to stage multiple-course dinners in historic mansions, progressive dining events, gourmet tastings, and casual social occasions that make the most of the city's spectacular riverside setting.

All along the Great River Road, renowned chefs, restaurateurs, vintners, and craft beer brewers descend on Natchez for the summer for the Natchez Food & Wine Festival sponsored by Visit Natchez. Friday night offers a huge taster's fair—"Tastings Along the Mississippi River"—with scores of regional chefs and restaurants participating (it always sells out); and top regional chefs stage elaborate feasts in grand Natchez mansions on Saturday night. It's a weekend-long chance to enjoy fine food, wine, and craft brews in Natchez—the oldest permanent settlement along the Mississippi River and home to more than five hundred antebellum structures. Details for individual events are as follow:

Friday, July 25^th

• 6:30 pm–9:30 pm: Visit Mississippi Tastings Along the River-Natchez Convention Center

211 Main Street

The popular Tastings Along the River fair offers delicious tidbits by scores of local and regional chefs, paired with premium wine, spirits and craft beer tastings and live music in a casual atmosphere, at the Natchez Convention Center. Grab a glass and taste dozens of wines alongside delicacies by restaurants and chefs from around the region. Our Emcee for the evening is Chef Jay Ducote who Beat Bobby Flay and winner of Food Network's Superchef Grudge Match.

9:30pm-11:30pm-VIP Chef’s After Party- $50 each-snacks, 2 drink tickets and live music at Smoot's with a chance to visit with participating Chefs

Saturday, July 26th

           11am and 1pm Mixology at Smoot’s 319 N Broadway $40 per person

11 am will be a Made in Mississippi Mixology hosted by Coastal Cocktail Consultant T Francis

1 pm will be "Tiki Time" Mixology by Coastal Cocktail Consultant T Francis

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• 1:30 pm: Wine & Cheese Tasting at The Castle Restaurant on the grounds of Dunleith Historic Inn.

84 Homochitto St

Hosted in a circa 1790's building that once served as the plantation's carriage house, this event brings experts from New Orleans' St. James Cheese Company to lead an international tour into the world of cheese. Jason Freeze of EJ Gallo will oversee wine pairings

$70 per person

5 pm–7 pm:  Burgers, Beer and Bocce-Natchez Brewing Co-207 High St

 serving up lighthearted bocce competition, craft beer, and grub at the Brewery at sunset with live music. Housemade Smash Burgers with a variety of sauces and onion rings will be served. Craft Beers presented by Southwest Distributors include Anheuser Busch, Urban South, Gnarly Barley and Nutrl Vodka Seltzers along with Stokes Distributing featuring Fertile Ground, Southern Prohibition Brewery and Parish Brewing Co- $40 per ticket

5 pm–7 pm:  Bourbon and Blues-Big Muddy Inn-411 N Commerce St

Enjoy a bourbon samples from Old Dominick, Distillerie Acadian, Seven Three and Crittenden and small bites from Chef Blake Stoker and Chef Liza Sharp with Live Music from The Big Muddy Blues Band- $65 per ticket

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6 pm: Boots, Booze and Beer at Church Hill Variety- Casual Dinner with Chef Taylor Bowen-Ricketts, Chef Michael Carr, Chef Mitch McCammey, Chef Ty Thames and Chef Joey Thompson

 5 course small plate dinner with beer or cocktail pairings $100 each

• 7:00 pm: This year the Invitation to the Natchez Table dinner will be held at Dunleith Historic Inn; offering multi-course menus by Chef Jon Davis, Chef David Leathers, Chef Phillip Lopez and Chefs Molly Robertson and Christian Velez with Winemakers presenting a pairing with each course by Pilar Wines.

• 7:00 pm- 'Garden of Earthly Delights' Dinner at Conde Contemporary Art Gallery- Chef Cory Bahr, Chef Sophina Uong, Chef Chaz Lindsay, Chef Cooper Miller and Chef Lexi Lehrman depict the theme with exquisite courses paired by Burg Wines as participants dine in real life art installation inside of the Gallery

VISIT OUR WEBSITE, WWW.NATCHEZFOODANDWINE.COM