Thousands turned out for fall food and fun during Williamsburg’s Harvest Celebration in 2015 and 2016, but the event will return as the Williamsburg Taste Festival to spruce up the city’s spring event lineup. The festival runs Thursday through Sunday across Williamsburg and Yorktown.
Bob Harris, vice president of tourism at the Greater Williamsburg Tourism & Chamber Alliance, said the name change better articulates what the event offers. It’s part of a larger rebranding effort that also expands its scope.
“We’ve worked very hard to try and offer a variety of things,” Harris said. “Each event is different.”
The Williamsburg Community Building, Stryker Center and adjacent area will serve as the hub of the festival, featuring events each of the four days including Saturday’s day-long Culinary Village.
“It’s probably the biggest of all of our events. We felt like it was important to have something that was family friendly,” Harris said. “I just want people to be able to come out and enjoy it.”
In addition to samplings of seafood, Italian fare and more alongside local vendors and a kids zone filled with activities, the event offers opportunities to learn.
Food journalist Patrick Evans-Hylton, oyster fisherman Bruce Vogt and Lisa Kellogg of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science will host lectures related to their expertise. Meanwhile, chefs Hans Schadler and Harmut Handke of Waypoint Seafood and Grill, the Williamsburg Inn’s chef Travis Brust, and Kyle Woodruff, chef at the Virginia Beach oceanfront Hilton, will demonstrate cooking on the scene.
Glenn Lavender, owner of Silver Hand Meadery, will discuss the process of transforming honey into mead.
“It’s really fun to open people’s eyes on that,” said Lavender, excited to see people turn out to learn what expertise he and the other culinary artists have to offer. “I think it’ll give people a chance to see the science behind it and the creativity.”
He sees the event as a showcase for a defining characteristic within the Williamsburg area: the way in which the community so eagerly comes together.
“I like to think that’s something people take away,” Lavender said. “People are really craving community.”
Friday evening’s Street Beats event combines games and live music, including the United Souls reggae band. The night’s food trucks and tables also strive to offer variety, such as the Prost’s German fare, Old City’s barbecue and seafood from the Virginia Blue Crab Co.
The festival’s Out and About events offer opportunities to further explore the area and meet high profile local chefs, including La Tienda’s Ika Zaken and Riverwalk Restaurant’s Brian Hines, while they prepare to serve unique meals. Zaken’s menu, for example, features a four-course tapas feast with Spanish wines selected to complement each segment, while Hines highlights Yarmouth lobster terrine and elk sirloin.
“People like the way in which the chefs challenge themselves,” Harris said.
For those especially eager for some time away from the little ones, the festival features events exclusively for those 21 and up. “Bourbon and Cigars” combines just what the name suggests with the folk, rock and blues music of Sammy Lee. Beer lovers can also explore Sunday’s Beer University, where brewmasters from Alewerks, the Virginia Beer Company, Billsburg Brewery and others discuss the art of pairing craft concoctions with food.
However one chooses to indulge during the Williamsburg Taste Festival, Harris sees it as something more than fleeting fun.
“There’s good food and good beverages but also the opportunity to get out and hang out with each other,” Harris said. “It’s been a bit of a rough spring. So I think people are really excited about the festival.”
Want to go?
The Williamsburg Taste Festival runs Thursday through Sunday throughout Williamsburg and Yorktown. Tickets for individual events range in price; an All Festival Pass includes access to five of the main events for $165, plus a service fee. For tickets and more information, visit williamsburgtastefestival.com or call 476-7324.
Birkenmeyer can be reached by phone at 757-790-3029.
