Festival After-Hours

Festival After Hours

Party Scene

Gourmands dressed to impress and flocked to the Charleston Wine and Food Festival tents in Marion Square for an incredible evening of food, drink, and dancing.

Stepping through the vibrantly hued entrance to the Charleston Wine + Food Festival tents in Marion Square for the Festival After-Hours event was like stepping into every foodie’s ultimate fantasy.

The crowd was gorgeous, the music was hot, the bubbly was flowing, and everywhere you turned tantalizing tables stacked with tiny, delicious morsels were calling.

Finger food happens to be a personal favorite (Seriously, what’s cuter than a miniature hot dog?), and the overarching theme of “late-night munchies” took canapés in a fresh, playful direction while still satisfying the sophisticated palate.

Gourmands lined up in droves for the Gin Joint’s German soft pretzels with porter mustard, accompanied by a petite tumbler of King Street Swizzle, as well as Chef Jacques Larson’s pork trifecta panino and Husk’s fried chicken skins with hot sauce and honey, served in adorable brown bags. After indulging in all things savory, partygoers satisfied their sweet tooth by noshing on such delights as Caviar and Bananas’ foie gras cotton candy, the Charleston Grill’s chocolate and truffle caramel popcorn, and Chef Kevin McCarthy’s espresso and almond churro with malted hot chocolate. Then it was off to grab a Ginger-Apple Mojito, created by Boris Van Dyke, before hitting the dance floor.

Spaced Invaders DJs Sonar and Scrunchyface Flatbroke kept the party pulsing with hot, funky mixes, and partygoers crowded onto the floor to dance off their food comas. Charleston Wine + Food Festival Executive Director Angel Postell could be spotted dancing the night away while local lord of the dance Josef Myer wowed his fellow guests, and Louie’s Kids founder Louis H. Yuhasz busted out a limbo line. It was a truly fabulous fete, and revelers showed no signs of slowing down or going home as the clock turned towards midnight.

Festival After-Hours, an official event of the Charleston Wine + Food Festival, was presented by the Art Institute of Charleston and Charleston magazine. Now in its sixth year, the Charleston Wine + Food Festival works to enhance Charleston’s culinary reputation as well as supporting local charitable endeavors.