Atlanta Food & Wine opens today: plan burgers, fried chicken and 200-plus chefs before you go
Thursday 10 September 2026 12:00 - Juliette Hess
The main question is not whether there will be enough to eat. The question is what you want to prioritize before tickets, appetite and time run out. Do you want the Thursday kickoff, the Friday Tasting Tents, the Saturday burger event, Whiskey & Fire, or the Sunday fried chicken finale?
Here is how to plan Atlanta Food & Wine Festival this weekend, from burgers and fried chicken to the signature Tasting Tents and the chef-driven experiences that make the festival feel bigger than one meal.
Start with today’s opening event
The festival begins with The Atlanta Standard: Thursday Tasting Tents Presented by Goya Foods at The Home Depot Backyard. This opening event is hosted by Monti Carlo, with VIP entry from 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM and general admission from 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM.
If you are going today, make this the anchor of your plan. It is positioned as the kickoff to festival weekend, built around the flavors, people and energy that define Atlanta.
Arrive with a route in mind, but leave room to taste widely. The Tasting Tents are designed for browsing, comparing and discovering.
If you are going today, make this the anchor of your plan. It is positioned as the kickoff to festival weekend, built around the flavors, people and energy that define Atlanta.
Arrive with a route in mind, but leave room to taste widely. The Tasting Tents are designed for browsing, comparing and discovering.
Use the Tasting Tents as your festival backbone
The festival’s signature Tasting Tents Presented by Goya Foods return at The Home Depot Backyard. They give the weekend its main structure, with different themes across the festival days.
Friday brings Flavors of Atlanta, hosted by Andrew Zimmern. Saturday brings The Southern Spread, hosted by Shawn Osbey. Sunday brings The Homecoming, hosted by Kardea Brown.
If you only choose one tasting format, pick the one that matches your food mood: Atlanta’s cultural mix, Southern cooking, or a final Sunday gathering of comforting flavors.
Friday brings Flavors of Atlanta, hosted by Andrew Zimmern. Saturday brings The Southern Spread, hosted by Shawn Osbey. Sunday brings The Homecoming, hosted by Kardea Brown.
If you only choose one tasting format, pick the one that matches your food mood: Atlanta’s cultural mix, Southern cooking, or a final Sunday gathering of comforting flavors.
Save Saturday night for burgers if that is your priority
One of the festival’s new tasting events is Stacked: The Burger Social, presented by Mike’s Amazing and hosted by Ford Fry. The event is scheduled for Saturday, September 12, at The Home Depot Backyard.
This is the event to plan around if burgers are the reason you clicked. The festival describes it as chefs putting their spin on America’s favorite handheld bite, from classic versions to over-the-top creations.
Do not treat it as an afterthought after a full day of grazing. If burgers are the goal, leave appetite for Saturday night.
This is the event to plan around if burgers are the reason you clicked. The festival describes it as chefs putting their spin on America’s favorite handheld bite, from classic versions to over-the-top creations.
Do not treat it as an afterthought after a full day of grazing. If burgers are the goal, leave appetite for Saturday night.
Keep Whiskey & Fire separate from the burger plan
Whiskey & Fire Atlanta also takes place on Saturday, September 12, this time at Guardian Works. The festival presents it as a returning event created with Heritage Fire and Whiskies of the World.
Because both Whiskey & Fire and Stacked happen on Saturday evening, visitors should plan carefully instead of assuming they can casually do everything.
Choose based on what you want most: a burger-focused event at The Home Depot Backyard, or a fire-and-whiskey experience at Guardian Works.
Because both Whiskey & Fire and Stacked happen on Saturday evening, visitors should plan carefully instead of assuming they can casually do everything.
Choose based on what you want most: a burger-focused event at The Home Depot Backyard, or a fire-and-whiskey experience at Guardian Works.
End the weekend with fried chicken
The Sunday headline for fried chicken lovers is Southern Fried: A Chicken Affair, hosted by Kelli Potter. It takes place on Sunday, September 13, at The Home Depot Backyard, with VIP from 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM and general admission from 5:15 PM to 7:30 PM.
The festival frames it around one of the South’s most beloved dishes, from classic Southern recipes to globally inspired creations.
If you want the weekend to end with comfort food, this is the event to keep open.
The festival frames it around one of the South’s most beloved dishes, from classic Southern recipes to globally inspired creations.
If you want the weekend to end with comfort food, this is the event to keep open.
What 200-plus chefs really means for visitors
The festival says it brings over 200 celebrated chefs for a weekend of savoring, sipping and sharing flavors of the region. That number matters because the festival is not built around one famous plate or one chef appearance.
For visitors, it means the best strategy is to sample with intention. Pick a few events, then explore within them instead of trying to chase every name.
Hosts listed for 2026 include Andrew Zimmern, Ford Fry, Kardea Brown, Kelli Potter, Monti Carlo, Shawn Osbey and Scott Conant.
For visitors, it means the best strategy is to sample with intention. Pick a few events, then explore within them instead of trying to chase every name.
Hosts listed for 2026 include Andrew Zimmern, Ford Fry, Kardea Brown, Kelli Potter, Monti Carlo, Shawn Osbey and Scott Conant.
A simple weekend plan
If you want a clean plan, use the festival days as themes. Thursday: opening Tasting Tents and Atlanta energy. Friday: Flavors of Atlanta. Saturday: choose between Southern Spread, Whiskey & Fire and Stacked. Sunday: Homecoming or Southern Fried.
That keeps the weekend from turning into one long, unfocused tasting session. It also helps you protect the events that require the most appetite.
The biggest mistake is arriving without deciding whether you care most about burgers, fried chicken, wine, fire cooking, cocktails or the broad tasting tent experience.
That keeps the weekend from turning into one long, unfocused tasting session. It also helps you protect the events that require the most appetite.
The biggest mistake is arriving without deciding whether you care most about burgers, fried chicken, wine, fire cooking, cocktails or the broad tasting tent experience.
The takeaway
Atlanta Food & Wine Festival opens today with a weekend built around Southern food, wine, beer, craft spirits and more than 200 chefs.
The key events to plan are the Tasting Tents, Stacked: The Burger Social, Southern Fried: A Chicken Affair and Whiskey & Fire Atlanta. Each one solves a different craving, so the best plan depends on what you do not want to miss.
Choose your anchor event first, then taste around it.
The key events to plan are the Tasting Tents, Stacked: The Burger Social, Southern Fried: A Chicken Affair and Whiskey & Fire Atlanta. Each one solves a different craving, so the best plan depends on what you do not want to miss.
Choose your anchor event first, then taste around it.
Juliette HessI have been creating culinary content for Petitchef since 2017.
I love travelling and discovering new dishes, trying out new food trends and exploring new restaurants.
I’m a huge fan of pasta and noodles in all their forms ❤ from udon noodles to tagliatelle, I love cooking them and even making them from scratch!
I’m currently preparing, filming and photographing your next recipe, and I hope you’ll enjoy it!
I love travelling and discovering new dishes, trying out new food trends and exploring new restaurants.
I’m a huge fan of pasta and noodles in all their forms ❤ from udon noodles to tagliatelle, I love cooking them and even making them from scratch!
I’m currently preparing, filming and photographing your next recipe, and I hope you’ll enjoy it!
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