Pilgrimage Steps Up The Food At This Year’s Festival

Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival continues to grow its food and beverage program to offer the very best from GA to the Grand Champion Experience. This year is no exception with new partnerships with Strategic Hospitality for the VIP Village, Blackberry Farm to create the Grand Champion Experience, and other top local and regional brands.

“Every patron that comes through the gates of Harlinsdale Farm for Pilgrimage gets to experience the incredible music, arts, food and beverages that this region has to offer,” says co-producer Brandt Wood.

This year’s VIP Village presents an outdoor kitchen & larder curated by Strategic Hospitality (owner of Pinewood, Bastion, and many other Nashville favorites) featuring a variety of local restaurants and chefs with rotating selections from 11am to 7pm each festival day. The VIP Village restaurant and chef roster includes Lisa White (LA Jackson & Killebrew,) Levon Wallace (Strategic Hospitality,) Martins BBQ Joint, Arnolds Country Kitchen, Trevor Moran (Strategic Hospitality,) Matt Bolus (404 Kitchen), Nathan Deunsing (Marsh House,) Taqueria Andrea, Paradise Park, Josh Habiger (Bastion,) Julia Sullivan (Henrietta Red,) Gerard Craft (Pastaria Nashville,) Mayme & Wes Parkern (Street Provisions,) and Trey Brunett & Jessica Benefeld (210 Jack.)

New to the festival this year, the Grand Champion Experience with Blackberry Farm, the heralded culinary, event and hotel venue in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. The Grand Champion pass includes all the amenities provided in the VIP Village Experience, plus even more exclusive access to live performances, with Blackberry Farm culinary & beverage delights at the Festival, and a private Friday night banquet.

On the main festival grounds, patrons will be able to experience Knob Creek’s special culinary experience, Whiskey & EGGS. Knob Creek partnered with Big Green Egg to bring a taste of Clermont, Kentucky to top culinary festivals around the country. The menu is assembled by some of Knob Creek’s culinary heroes, and the custom food and drink pairings elevate Knob Creek’s flavor at every turn. Whiskey & EGGS will be curated by famed bar manager Chris Bostick and catering manager and chef Daniel Northcutt.

Pilgrimage is introducing new this year the “Wine Experience Lounge” featuring fine, approachable wines by ViNO plus many other wines from boutique houses. The Lounge will be an indoor/outdoor wine garden designed for chilling between sets or passing the day away. This will expand on the already robust wine available festival-wide. Bell’s Brewery Craft Beer Hall with televised SEC and NFL games and over 30 types of craft beer will also be back and introducing the Pilgrimage Golden Ale this year. Spirits to be featured at the festival include Tito’s Handmade Vodka, George Dickel Tennessee Whisky, Knob Creek Bourbon Whiskey, Milagro Tequila, Hendrick’s Gin, and Sugarlands Moonshine. Bai will be on-hand as the official non-alcoholic beverage of Pilgrimage.

In addition, the Farm to Turntable Food Truck Park returns this year with 18 local food trucks including bars and shaded center court. Food trucks featured in this year’s park include Banh Mi & Roll Factory, Blue Monkey Shaved Ice, Bob’s Fish Fry, Burger Republic, Califarmia, Daddy’s Dogs, Deezie’s Hot Chicken, DegThai Truck, Dixie Chillers, Florindas Mexican, Franklin Juice, Funk Seoul Brother, Hoss’ Loaded Burgers, King Tut’s, Laovin It, Local Roots, Meel, Music City Brisket, Music City Ice Cream, Redbyrd Coffee Shop, Retro Sno, Smoke Et Al, The Grilled Cheeserie, and carts such as Oliver’s Icebox and Padrino’s Pops. Patrons also have a number of kitchens and booths to choose from including Amish Baking Co, Bluegrass Kettle Master, Chuy’s Tex Mex, Corndog Inc, Hebro’s Caribbean, Hibachi 4 Hire, Island Noodles, Jim ‘N Nick’s Community Bar-B-Q, Juice Bar Franklin, Ozark Mountain Biscuit, Pele’s Wood Fire Pizza, Farmboy Smokehouse, Kokomo Joe’s, Meltdown Gourmet, Nachos Tacos, Puckett’s Grocery and Restaurant, The Urban Juicer, Two Guys Chicken And Fries, Tica’s Burger Joint, and Romega Street Taqueria.

Last month, the festival announced the addition of Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds to the lineup! Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds join the already impressive list of artists that include Jack White, Chris Stapleton, Lionel Richie, Brandi Carlile, Counting Crows and more as music fans #MakeThePilgrimage September 22 and 23, 2018 to The Park at Harlinsdale in Franklin, TN for two unforgettable days of music, art and culture.