Photos Courtesy of Tom Logan and Joshua Luke
The LGBT Food and Wine Festival will take place on Sunday, September 4, 2022, in Atlanta’s Central Park. The festival will feature cooking demonstrations, delicious cuisine, artisans/lifestyle vendors, wines galore, and live entertainment. With the participation of Atlanta’s best LGBTQ-owned restaurants and celebrity chefs, this event will offer a unique and curated flavor during Atlanta’s Black Gay Pride Labor Day weekend.
“Our goal is to provide an elevated experience for the LGBTQ community while showcasing Black and LGBTQ artisans,” said Tom Logan. In addition to food, wine, and spirits vendors, this event will showcase African American businesses. There will be several prize giveaways during the event.
PrideIndex posed several questions to Monarch International LTD’s Joshua Luke and EBANMAN, Inc’s Tom Logan, the organizers of this tremendous event.
PrideIndex (PI): Who are the Black and LGBTQ companies participating in this event?
Joshua Luke (JH): Participating companies are Atlanta Black Pride Inc., EBANMAN Inc., Monarch International Ltd, and Nobody’s Darling.
PI: What can attendees expect to experience?
Tom Logan (TL): This event is a first for Pride in Atlanta. Our goal is to provide an elevated experience for the LGBTQ community while showcasing Black and LGBTQ artisans in the food and wine industry during Atlanta Black Pride weekend outside the traditional park music festival. This event will allow the community to participate in our food and wine festival. This is an excellent opportunity for foodies, chefs, bakers, and wine enthusiast to indulge their plates with local treats.
PI: When will tickets go on sale? / Do you plan on selling a level VIP ticket?
TL: We have received a flood of requests for tickets and we advise people to purchase tickets on sale now in advance to prevent them from standing in long lines the day of the event.
Our VIP experience is next level! We are excited to have Nobody’s Darling, a Black LGBTQ-owned cocktail lounge in Chicago, help curate the vibe with some Chicago flavor. The VIP experience will grant you access to our VIP lounge, where you can sample curated cocktails, signature South African wines, a cigar bar, and food pairings with each cocktail. This is for the foodies, wine enthusiasts, and eventgoers who want an exclusive experience within the festival.
PI: Where will this event take place?
TL: Our Food and Wine event will be held in one of the many beautiful parks in Atlanta, Central Park. Central Park is located in Fourth Ward West; this 17-acre City of Atlanta park includes:
- A recreation center.
- Outdoor courts and fields.
- A playground.
- Plenty of open greenspaces.
PI: Why is it important to spotlight Black and LGBTQ professionals in the food, wine, and spirits industries?
TL: The food, wine and spirits industry are extremely disproportionate in showcasing Black and LGBTQ professionals and business owners compared to the Black and LGBTQ consumers market. As this market grows, we, as an LGBTQ-owned company, must showcase the diversity and create initiates to support it. Our website will host an online living marketplace for patrons to shop and support.
PI: How can I sign up as a vendor, or if I have a product or service I’d like to have shown at this event?
TL: There is still time to register as a vendor. This event is open to all vendors that want to participate. It’s an excellent opportunity for brands to showcase and show their support for the community. You can access the application on our website at www.LGBTFW.com, click on the registration tab, then fill out the vendor form online.
