Charleston Wine + Food Festival After Hours Party

On Saturday, neither the streets of Charleston nor the Festival After Hours: Taking it to the Streets party were dry events. The rain may have dampened the actual roads of the peninsula, but the free flowing spirits, along with the delicious nibbles, kept the fun going. Greeted by gold, that is gold-painted gals, welcomed  everyone to what was to be a carnival-esque street event. Jugglers and stilt walkers roamed the fête as the Bus Shed provided patrons with shelter from the torrential downpour.

Food trucks, along with some of Charleston’s top restaurants, lined the walls as guests were treated to samples that brought high-end food to a pedestrian level. Ranging from the Bresaola “Sammy” prepared by Craig Deihl of Cypress to braised short ribs from Eurasia, the Roti Rolls food truck to Wild Olive’s stuffed arancini, guests debated which stop was the best—and which dishes paired the well with the signature drinks, such as Hendrick’s Gin Love Dove cocktail. Diggity Doughnuts seemed to perfectly convey the contrasting nature of the evening with their unique creation of salt and pepper doughnuts which perfectly matched the informal party atmosphere. 

The party, which featured music by Quiana Parler and Friends, allowed festivalgoers from the Wine + Food Festival to mingle well into the night. Merrymakers could be found dancing down the streets, along with  performance troupes circulating the event, and even the chefs in the trucks themselves let their hair down. The Magic Cheese cooks seemed particularly fond of Quiana’s version of The Black Eyed Peas “I’ve Got a Feeling,” as they danced and cooked their way into the hearts of the guests. As members of Dance FX conga-ed around the room and the Missing Links featuring Phuse dance group defied gravity with their break dancing skills, revelers debated over the best drinks and eats.

With the music ending, the dancers leaving, and the food digesting, partiers prepared to take it back to the actual streets of Charleston and brave the rain one last time before heading home. Bringing together the love of food merged with the love of Charleston, the event proved to be the perfect end to the Saturday’s festivities of the BB&T Wine + Food Festival—much like the white-chocolate dipped strawberry ice cream and almond cookie sandwich from Twenty-Six Divine which made for one delicious final bite.