Soul Good
Highlands Food & Wine turns up the volume for another year
by madison powers
Marking its eighth anniversary this November, Highlands Food & Wine will certainly deliver on its namesake offerings. But there is more to the festival than delectable eats and drinks. Music remains a main draw, curated by festival producer Eleven Events, with past marquee acts like Grace Potter and The War & Treaty.
This year, the lineup includes Wilder Woods—a solo project by Bear Rinehart, lead singer of the rock band Needtobreathe—R&B soul singer Lee Fields, and bluegrass jam band Greensky Bluegrass, among other standouts. Musicians will perform over the course of the four-day festival, playing in the Bascom Center for the Visual Arts, the scenic Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park, and on Highlands’s charming Main Street.
Highlands Food & Wine melds craft food and drink with iconic music in a refreshing mountain setting—it doesn’t get more soulful than this.
Grand Tasting | Thursday, November 7, 7–10 p.m.
Enjoy small plates and craft beverages at this kickoff event with a DJ set by Tennis Legend and Love Canon, covering pop and rock hits of the ’80s and ’90s with a fresh acoustic and bluegrass-style perspective. Their most recent album, Cover Story, brings electro-pop classics from artists such as Peter Gabriel and Billy Joel into a new light. $270 per person
Truckin’ | Friday, November 8, 1–4:30 p.m.
Chow down and drink up at this afternoon “fun fest” featuring various food trucks and craft cocktails, beer, and wine, along with Texan native Alex Lambert, who got his start writing for names such as Justin Bieber and Carly Rae Jepsen. Wilder Woods is Bear Rinehart’s neo-soul solo project. After more than two decades leading the Grammy-nominated rock band Needtobreathe, Rinehart began a new undertaking in 2019 named after his two sons. His records explore poignant themes with elements of western and alternative music. $270 per person
Main Event | Saturday, November 9, Noon–3:30 p.m.
Gather on Main Street in downtown Highlands for tent upon tent of chef-made small plates, craft beverages, and a legendary oyster roast. Larry Keel, an award-winning bluegrass musician from Appalachia who specializes in acoustic guitar flat picking, will be performing with Jon Stickley, a flat-picking guitarist of the bluegrass-rooted Jon Stickley Trio based in Asheville. Greensky Bluegrass, a five-piece bluegrass band that got its start in Kalamazoo, Michigan, has blended traditional bluegrass themes with artistic elements of a string band and rock and roll since its start in 2000. The quintet—made up of a banjo, guitar, upright bass, dobro (a kind of resonator guitar), and a mandolin—are sure to bring their celebrated innovative sound and an energetic performance to this unforgettable festival. $325 per person
A Shot at Redemption | Sunday, November 10, Noon–4:30 p.m.
Abraham Alexander, a soulful singer-songwriter originally from Greece who moved to Fort Worth, Texas, is known for his emotive, heartfelt vocals and lyrical themes of personal growth and resilience. Lee Fields has been recognized for his classic deep soul sound since his career began in the 1960s. Since then, Fields has released twenty albums and performed at countless major festivals, including Coachella and Rock en Seine. Iconic rock-and-roll bank Futurebirds from Athens, Georgia, will also perform during this event, where a portion of the proceeds ($125 per ticket) will benefit WNC hurricane relief. $270 per person
Photography courtesy of (Wilder Woods) Paris Mountain Marketing, (Lee Fields) Rosie Cohe, and (Greensky Bluegrass) Tobin Voggesser; this story appears in our Fall 2024 issue.
For more on Highlands Food & Wine, go to highlandsfoodandwine.com.