Florence Wine and Food Festival Offers Culinary Delights

The annual event in South Carolina's Pee Dee region features renowned chefs, winemakers, and more.

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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The Florence Wine and Food Festival, scheduled for March 26-28, 2026, is quickly becoming a must-attend event for food and wine enthusiasts in the Southeast. Founded in 2017 by Tim Norwood and Frank Chisholm, the festival has grown in scope and reputation, with the addition of executive producers Matt and Ted Lee, James Beard Award-winning brothers, in 2021. This year's festival will feature culinary headliner Sean Brock, IndyCar and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick representing her Somnium Wines, and a lineup of acclaimed chefs, winemakers, and specialty food purveyors.

Why it matters

The Florence Wine and Food Festival is helping to put the Pee Dee region of South Carolina on the culinary map, showcasing the area's rich agricultural heritage and growing food and beverage scene. The festival's intimate scale and focus on connecting attendees with the talent allow for a unique and memorable experience, setting it apart from larger, more crowded events.

The details

The festival offers a variety of events, including the opening night "Meat and Meander" party, a cooking demonstration and book signing with Sean Brock, a wine and spirits tasting with Food & Wine magazine's Ray Isle, the Grand Tasting featuring regional restaurants and producers, and the closing "Last Bite Bash" hosted by pitmaster Elliott Moss. The festival also has a strong philanthropic component, partnering with the Help 4 Kids organization to address childhood hunger in the area.

  • The Florence Wine and Food Festival is scheduled for March 26-28, 2026.
  • The Meat and Meander party will take place on March 26 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
  • Sean Brock's cooking demonstration and book signing will be on March 27 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
  • The wine and spirits tasting with Ray Isle will be on March 28 from 11 a.m. to noon.
  • The Grand Tasting will be held on March 28 from noon to 3 p.m.

The players

Tim Norwood

One of the founders of the Florence Wine and Food Festival, Norwood previously owned restaurants and was instrumental in developing downtown Florence.

Frank Chisholm

The other founder of the Florence Wine and Food Festival, Chisholm is a wine aficionado who helped develop the festival alongside Norwood.

Matt and Ted Lee

James Beard Award-winning brothers, authors, and culinary superstars who joined the festival as executive producers in 2021.

Sean Brock

A James Beard Award-winning chef, cookbook author, and TV presenter who is the culinary headliner for the 2026 festival.

Danica Patrick

An IndyCar Series and NASCAR trailblazer who will represent her Somnium Wines at the festival.

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What they’re saying

“A nonprofit food and wine festival has many moving parts — recruitment, marketing, sponsorship, events production, to name a few. An executive producer helps program the festival from 10,000 feet and brings the relationships piece to it.”

— Ted Lee, Co-Executive Producer (Charleston City Paper)

“That is the fun stuff, and it really never hurts to dream big and ask. It turns out that the uniqueness and novelty factor of the Pee Dee is an asset to recruiting talent. Chefs and winemakers who have experienced big cities a hundred times over want to come see for themselves what the Florence area is all about.”

— Matt Lee, Co-Executive Producer (Charleston City Paper)

“What I really hope is to build the brand for the Florence festival so that some sous chef in Charleston or Columbia or Greenville or Atlanta will see what we're doing here and say, 'That's a growing community, and it's a great place to start a restaurant.' That was the ultimate reason we did it: to build our community and support it in every way we could.”

— Tim Norwood, Festival Co-Founder (Charleston City Paper)

What’s next

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The takeaway

The Florence Wine and Food Festival is an intimate, community-focused event that showcases the Pee Dee region's rich agricultural heritage and growing culinary scene, attracting renowned chefs, winemakers, and food enthusiasts from across the Southeast.