An thrilling and bold competition is coming to Asheville, NC this fall: the inaugural Carolina Cider Fest! On Saturday, October 21, 2023, cidermakers and cider followers from throughout the area will collect at McCormick Area (house to town’s Minor League Baseball group, the Asheville Vacationers) to get pleasure from an array of cider and experiences. The venue will assist to ease a few of the frequent points at large festivals: It’s simply walkable from Asheville’s downtown, and there’s numerous parking, loads of loos, quite a few faucet traces and ample protection if it rains.
The competition is deliberate for the peak of the autumn vacationer season in North Carolina, and hopes to attract in 2,000-plus friends hailing from far and extensive.
Lyndon Smith of Botanist & Barrel, and the present president of the North Carolina Cider Affiliation, is without doubt one of the organizers of the occasion. He notes that the principle targets of the Carolina Cider Fest are to showcase Southern cider, in addition to to offer an setting the place everybody can take a pause and make some actual connections.
“All the North Carolina cidermakers we talked to had been like, ‘We simply desire a competition the place we are able to truly discuss to friends, not simply hand out glass after glass,’” he says.
Carolina Cider Fest is a daytime affair, working from 11:30 a.m. to three p.m. Common admission (21+, please) is $45, with designated driver tickets are $25. There are two VIP tiers, as effectively: $75 for VIP entry to the Depraved Weed Brewing Occasion Pavilion, and $95 for VIP Entry to the Hello-Wire Grandstand Suite, in addition to a parking cross. All tickets embody a memento glass and as many cider samples as you want; VIP tickets embody the memento glass, cider samples and snacks.
On the sampling entrance, there will probably be an enormous array of drinks to strive, together with arduous cider, mead, apple wine and seltzers.
Whereas Smith hopes that the entire native and regional producers come out to pour — and lots of have already signed up — he additionally hopes that a few of the nationwide cider manufacturers will get entangled, as effectively.
“This competition is all about cider for the folks, so we wish each type of cider there’s, from probably the most obscure to the most important on the market!”
In step with Asheville’s status as an unbelievable culinary vacation spot, there have been even be curated artisanal meals, particularly chosen to pair with cider.
To buy tickets for the Carolina Cider Fest, head right here! There are additionally nonetheless cider merchandising spots out there (extra information right here), in addition to alternatives for makers to promote their wares. For more information and updates, observe Carolina Cider Fest on Instagram.
- Function picture: Stephan Pruitt Images
- Apple picture: Noble Cider
