BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival

Every year during the first week in March in Charleston South Carolina you can depend on a good time at the BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival. That is according to the 18,000+ visitors that enthusiastically attended along with Forbes Traveler Magazine when they rated it as one of the top five wine festivals in the country.

(Note the BB&T, which is short for the Branch Banking and Trust Company, is the official bank of the Festival and its Signature Title Sponsor.)

The event is meant to highlight the local area?s specialty in ?Lowcountry? food preparation and appetizing taste while mixing all of it with wine. Profits from the event are donated locally to culinary charities and food related scholarships. For example in 2010 the festival raised over $70,000 for two charities plus other scholarships.

Lowcountry local is a term referring to the coastal area of South Carolina to Savannah Georgia. The style of cooking is unique because of its mix of many cultures cannot be found anywhere else. For example Lowcountry foods are a delicious combination of food influences originating in England, France, Spain, Italy, the Caribbean and Africa.

There are plenty of fun things to see and do at the festival because there is General Admission plus over 50 events enthusiasts can attend for an additional charge. For the King Street Sip & Stroll, you can scan your tickets at Marion Square Park to get a wristband. Tickets for the event can be purchased at the official web site:

http://www.charlestonwineandfood.com/

The tickets for the March 1-4, 2012 Festival go on sale September 1, 2011. The best advice is to purchase tickets in advance because in all past years the event was a sellout. Most events are open seating and remember you must be at least 21 years of age to enter the event because they cannot allow children of any age.

Here are the must see things based on the huge successes of past events:

• Culinary Village


• AAA Carolinas and Southwest Airlines Grand Tasting Tents


• SCE&G Celebrity Kitchen Tent


• Charleston Cooks! Book Signing Tent


• Outdoor Living + Grilling Area


• Whole Foods Wine Shop


• BB&T Hospitality Tent


• King Street Sip & Stroll