Taste of Our Carolina Foothills is a one-day culinary and cultural event in the heart of Polk County farmland this weekend. This expansive festival packs the event space of Overmountain Vineyards with area restaurants, great drinks, lively entertainment, engaging corporate partners and fellow Polk folks and visitors.

The inaugural event is Sunday, Sept. 28, from 1 – 5 p.m. at Overmountain Vineyards, with the entrance at 2012 Sandy Plains Road, Tryon. All pre-purchased tickets can be redeemed here and on-site sales are available, though there are limited tickets available.  Pre-purchased tickets are available at Stone Soup Restaurant in Landrum, LaBoutielle Wine Shop in Tryon, Overmountain Vineyard in Tryon, Mountain Brook Vineyard, Tryon, and Parker-Binns Vineyard in Mill Spring, or purchase online at Eventbrite.com.

Featured at the event are dozens of opportunities to taste from local restaurants, bakeries, food trucks, wineries, craft beer, cheese and chocolate makers, caterers, an organic CSA program, and more.  Communities in Our Carolina Foothills will come together in a celebration of food and drink, many from local and regionally sourced farms and food processors, and there is live folk and jazz music to enjoy.

The event is a fundraiser for Our Carolina Foothills, a newly developing travel and tourism campaign envisioned by Suzanne Strickland and Madelon Wallace.  Our Carolina Foothills campaign is comprised of Landrum, Tryon, Columbus and Saluda.  It’s a celebration of our beautiful area with local farms and viticulture, shopping, lodging, music, the arts, history and outdoor adventure including equestrian enthusiasts.

We live in a special corner of northwest South Carolina and Western North Carolina.

I invite you to come on out on Sunday, Sept. 28 and discover a world of tempting tastes, sights and sounds, as Taste of Our Carolina Foothills, in its inaugural year, walks us down the main streets of Landrum, Tryon, Columbus and Saluda. Soon to become one of our foothills finest outdoor festivals.