The 21st Charleston Wine + Food Festival runs from 3 to 7 March 2027, according to its official site. Plan around Opening Night on 3 March, the Lowland Signature Dinner on 4 March and Street Eats on 5 March. Sales were announced for 8 October 2026, and dated food tours and cooking classes fill the days in between.
Every early March, Charleston turns its restaurants, its distilleries and the stadium of a military college into the stage for the Charleston Wine + Food Festival. The 2027 edition is the 21st, and the official site lists it for 3 to 7 March. Until the full program is published, the details that matter most for planning are the dates, the seated dinner, the ticket sale and the logistics of getting there.
This guide is written for planning, not for hype. Where the festival has confirmed a detail, it is stated as such. Where it has not, the gap is named, so you know what to check before you commit money. Around the festival’s own events, you will also find a set of bookable experiences on Viator, from food tours in the historic district to a plantation morning and a sunset sail. Those are not festival events, and the festival does not sell them. They are things you can book for the days around it.
What is confirmed for 2027, and what is not
The official site gives the 2027 dates as 3 to 7 March. The 2026 edition ran from 4 to 8 March and the 2025 edition from 5 to 9 March, so the window shifts a little each year. Some third-party listings show other 2027 ranges, including 4 to 8 March and 5 to 9 March. Treat those as guesses. Check chswf.org before you buy a non-refundable flight or hotel rate.
The rest of the 2027 program is still being published, so individual times and venues stay provisional until each official event page confirms them.
Ticketing 2027: announced for 8 October 2026
According to the official site, 2027 tickets were announced for sale on Thursday 8 October at 11 a.m. Eastern time, on chswf.org. The page does not print the year, so the sale is read as 2026, which fits a sale ahead of a March 2027 festival. The site also mentions payment plans. Check the ticket page for current availability, then decide which events you want most, so that you are not comparing options under pressure.
Budget with a range rather than a figure. The Post and Courier reported a $165 pre-sale price for the 2025 festival and a $185 pre-sale price for 2026, which ran from 21 August to 1 September 2026. Those are past prices. The 2027 price is not published yet.
Opening Night and Street Eats, the two evenings to plan around
Opening Night takes place on Wednesday 3 March, from 7 to 9:30 p.m., at The Cistern, according to the official hub for 2027. The hub gives the time and the venue but no ticket price, so check the event page before you assume a cost. If you are flying in from Europe, arrive on the Tuesday. A spare night protects the first event from a delayed connection and from jet lag.
Street Eats: Night Bazaar is on Friday 5 March, from 7:30 to 10 p.m., at Firefly Distillery. The name points to small plates rather than a seated menu, which makes it the easiest evening to share with a group that has different appetites and budgets. Arrive early enough to walk the room once before you decide where to start.
The Culinary Village at The Citadel
The official hub lists the Culinary Village as a Friday-to-Sunday event, from 2 to 5:30 p.m., at Johnson Hagood Stadium on the campus of The Citadel, South Carolina’s military college. Which days carry which program, and what the Culinary Village costs in 2027, are not confirmed yet. Check the official site before you plan a Saturday around it.
Plan for a long walk across a large campus and for a lot of standing. Bring water, wear shoes you already know are comfortable, and leave time in the afternoon for a rest before the evening events. The 2026 ticket coverage in the Post and Courier gives the 2026 price points, not the 2027 ones, so use it as a benchmark only.
The Lowland Signature Dinner: the seated event to plan first
The Lowland Signature Dinner is the one seated event in this guide that the official site describes in detail. It takes place on Thursday 4 March 2027, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., at Lowland, 36 George Street, in the historic center. The event page lists a price of $260.95 per person, with fees included. Food and drinks are included too. Three conditions apply: the ticket is non-refundable and non-transferable, guests must be 21 or older, and children and pets are not admitted.
When we checked, the price was still loading on the page, so confirm the final amount at checkout. The page also states that allergy accommodations are not offered. If anyone in your group has a food allergy, speak to the organizers before you buy, because the page offers no substitution. Since the ticket cannot be transferred, your travel dates need to be firm before you pay.
We did not find a fine-dining dinner in Viator’s Charleston catalog that met our quality bar, so no Viator product stands in for it. Two dinner cruises came up in the search, but both fell well below the rating and review threshold we use, so they are not listed here. If you want a second seated dinner, book it directly with the restaurant and check the menu for dietary needs before you arrive.
Food tours and cooking classes in Charleston
Every product in this section runs in Charleston itself. None of them is a festival event, and the festival does not sell any of them. Prices are per adult, in euros, as shown by Viator when checked on 14 October 2026 on a two-adult basis. Viator may display dollars to you, depending on your location and settings. Availability for March 2027 is a check, not a promise, so confirm the date before you build the rest of your week around it.
Undiscovered Charleston: Half Day Food, Wine & History Tour with Cooking Class
The most complete entry point: a half-day walk through the historic district that pairs food, wine and history, with a cooking class built in. The meeting point is Waterfront Park, at the Pineapple Fountain. At about four hours, it is the longest format on this list, and with more than 1,000 reviews averaging 4.99 out of 5, it is also the most reliable in terms of guest feedback.
Hands-on Cooking Class in Charleston
A two-hour session in a kitchen, for people who want to cook rather than only taste. Rated 4.94 out of 5 across 122 reviews, it also works on a day without a seated event, as a practical counterpart to the dinners on the program.
Private Charleston Walking Food Tour in the French Quarter
A private walking food tour of the French Quarter, for your group only. It runs about 3.5 hours and sets its own pace, which helps if you want to ask more questions than a public tour allows. At 4.96 out of 5 from 263 reviews, it is the highest-rated walking option in this guide, and the most expensive of the walking formats. It suits a group that values a private guide above the price.
Charleston Farm-to-Table Food Tour and Chef's Challenge
A food tour built around a chef’s challenge, which makes it the most participatory option in this guide. Only 4 and 5 March 2027 are open in the window we checked, so treat it as a fixed appointment in the middle of your week rather than a flexible day. Rated 4.91 out of 5 from 118 reviews.
Downtown Charleston Food Tour
The broadest option for a first afternoon in the city: a food tour of downtown that runs about 2.5 hours. It has more than 1,400 reviews at 4.74 out of 5. The rating sits below the specialist formats, but the volume of feedback makes it a dependable pick for a first visit, and an easy start before the festival evenings.
Charleston's Tastes Through Time
A food tour that traces how the city’s cooking changed over time, with the history of the dishes built into the route. Depending on the group, it runs two to three hours. Rated 4.76 out of 5 from 176 reviews. It is the tour to book if you want the dishes explained before you order them at the festival.
Cocktails and the sun cabana
Charleston’s bars are part of the festival week, and one class approaches the city through its drinks. The product below is the covered cocktail class from the Sun Cabana. Choose it if you want a lighter evening than a seated dinner, or a second evening after Street Eats.
Sip History in The Sun Cabana Covered Cocktail Class
A two-hour class that, as its title says, pairs cocktails with history. It is the most bar-oriented option in this guide and the highest-volume cocktail class listed here, with 341 reviews at 4.93 out of 5. Per-adult prices run from about €99 to €116, depending on the date.
Beyond the peninsula: a plantation morning and the coast
Three experiences leave the historic peninsula. They are useful for a day away from the festival, and two of them are on the water. None is a festival event, and each one is a booking you make separately.
Middleton Plantation: 3-hour guided tour with hotel pickup
A three-hour guided visit to Middleton Place, with hotel pickup included in the listing. Rated 4.79 out of 5 from 120 reviews. Choose it for a day when you want the plantation grounds and their history rather than another walk through the city streets. Per-adult price from about €114.
Charleston Iconic Sunset Sail: Lux Catamaran with Bar and Bathrooms
A two-hour sail on a catamaran that departs from Mount Pleasant, across the harbor. With a bar and bathrooms on board, it is the easiest option on this list for a group with mixed plans. It is also the least expensive product here, at about €57 per adult, rated 4.75 out of 5 from 104 reviews.
Private Folly Beach Dolphin Watching and Shelling Tour
A private two-hour boat trip from Folly Beach that looks for dolphins and stops at Morris Island for shelling. The boat is yours alone, which suits a small group that wants the coast to itself. Rated 4.99 out of 5 from 96 reviews, at about €155 per adult.
Where to stay, neighborhood by neighborhood
The historic peninsula is walkable, so the choice of neighborhood comes down to noise, price and feel. The descriptions in the table are summarized from AFAR’s Charleston neighborhood guide, and the hotels are examples to check, not recommendations on availability.
| Neighborhood | Feel | Hotels to check | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harleston Village | Quiet, residential, historic houses | John Rutledge House Inn, Wentworth Mansion | Couples and slower stays |
| Ansonborough | Historic and compact, close to the center | Zero George Street | Walkers who want a quieter base |
| Lower King | Shops and restaurants along King Street | Charleston Place, The Restoration | First-time visitors |
| Marion Square | Central, with hotels in and around the square | The Dewberry, Frances Marion, Hotel Bella Grace, Hotel Bennett | Festival-goers who walk between events |
| Upper King | Lively, with bars that stay busy late | No example listed | Night owls, not light sleepers |
One booking snapshot for March 2026 put a typical room near $199 a night. That is a single data point, not a rate, and prices will move with the festival dates. Local lodging taxes are added on top of the nightly rate, so compare the total at checkout rather than the headline price.
Getting to Charleston and around
We did not find a nonstop flight from Europe to Charleston when we checked, so plan for at least one connection. Charleston International Airport (CHS) is the closest airport. It sits roughly 12 miles, or about 19 km, from the historic center. Local estimates put the drive at around 20 minutes, depending on traffic. That figure is unofficial, so allow more time at festival hours.
From the airport, a taxi has a published minimum fare of $17, and the final price depends on your destination. Rideshare pick-up is in a sheltered area on the right, beyond the last sidewalk, after you cross the two lanes. Follow the airport signs for ground transportation.
CARTA route 11, Dorchester / Airport, is the budget option. The regular fare is $2.00 and the Express fare is $3.50. Exact change is required. If you are staying in North Charleston, several hotels run free shuttles to the airport, so ask at check-in before you book a taxi.
Inside the peninsula, walking is the default. Taxis and rideshare cover the outlying trips, including the coastal tours, which start outside the peninsula. Keep a rideshare app on your phone for the evenings, since the late events end at different times.
Weather in early March
Early March is a mild period for Charleston. The South Carolina State Climatology Office gives an average high of about 68.6 °F (20 °C) and an average low of about 46 °F (8 °C) for March. The page does not state the exact averaging period, so read these figures as a seasonal guide rather than a forecast. Pack layers: a warm afternoon can turn cool after sunset, which matters for the evening events. Rainfall is not quantified in this guide, so check the climate table before you pack.
Lowcountry food: what to order and where to start
The Lowcountry is the coastal plain around Charleston, and its cooking draws on the marsh, the sea and a long kitchen tradition. AFAR’s guide to eight essential dishes lists the ones most visitors will see on a menu: purloo, chicken bog, Hoppin’ John, Frogmore stew, steamed oysters, she-crab soup, shrimp and grits, and boiled peanuts. You do not need to order all of them in one week.
Two things help when you read a menu. Dishes such as Hoppin’ John and purloo are cooked differently from one kitchen to the next, so ask what is in the pot. And shrimp and grits or she-crab soup can be rich, so a plate of steamed oysters is often the easier first course.
The history of these dishes is tied to the Gullah Geechee communities of the Lowcountry. Congress created the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor in 2006, and the National Park Service documents its history and culture. Attribution for any single dish is disputed, so this guide does not say who invented them. Two of the tours above put that history at the center of the route. Ask your guide which dishes are linked to which communities, and listen to the answer before you judge the menu.
A five-day plan around the festival
The plan below follows the dates confirmed on the official site. Viator availability and the Culinary Village days still need checking when you book.
| Day | Plan |
|---|---|
| Tue 2 March | Arrive, check in, walk the historic center, have dinner in Lower King or Ansonborough |
| Wed 3 March | Morning: Downtown Charleston Food Tour (about 2.5 hours). Evening: Opening Night, 7 to 9:30 p.m. |
| Thu 4 March | Morning: Middleton Plantation tour with hotel pickup (about 3 hours). Evening: Lowland Signature Dinner, 6 to 8:30 p.m. |
| Fri 5 March | Daytime: Farm-to-Table Chef’s Challenge (open that day). Evening: Street Eats: Night Bazaar, 7:30 to 10 p.m. |
| Sat 6 March | Culinary Village, if its days include Saturday (to confirm). Evening: sunset sail from Mount Pleasant |
| Sun 7 March | Morning: private Folly Beach boat tour, or the hands-on cooking class. Afternoon: Culinary Village, if it runs Sunday (to confirm) |
Two variants fit most travelers. If you want a quieter week, drop the plantation morning and keep the cooking class. If you are traveling with children, skip the Lowland dinner, which does not admit them, and build the evenings around the Culinary Village instead.
Budget for the week
Charleston prices appear in dollars, and the Viator prices in this guide are in euros. The table keeps each currency where it belongs.
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Lowland Signature Dinner | $260.95 per person | Fees, food and drinks included; price still loading when checked |
| Opening Night and Street Eats | Not published for 2027 | Check the official site |
| Culinary Village | Not published for 2027 | Days and prices to confirm |
| Food tours and cooking classes (Viator) | About €90 to €227 per adult | Check of 14 October 2026, two-adult basis |
| Taxi from the airport | From $17 | Minimum fare, final price depends on destination |
| CARTA route 11 from the airport | $2.00, or $3.50 Express | Exact change required |
| Hospitality tax | 2% on meals and beverages | Charged by the City of Charleston on your bill |
Keep the budget honest by choosing one seated event and one hands-on class, then filling the rest of the week with walking tours and the free evenings of the historic center. Boat trips and sunset sails depend on the weather, so book them with a flexible day in reserve.
Mistakes to avoid
- Booking flights or a non-refundable room against a third-party date range. Confirm the window on chswf.org first.
- Buying the Lowland Signature Dinner without reading the allergy and transfer rules.
- Treating a Viator product as a festival event. The tours, the sail and the boat trip are separate bookings.
- Planning to arrive on Opening Night day after a long connection.
- Relying on the 8 October sale date without checking, because the page does not print the year. Check chswf.org for current availability.
- Booking a room on Upper King for a quiet stay.
- Check chswf.org for the 2027 dates and the event pages before booking travel
- Check the chswf.org ticket page for current availability before you plan your trip
- Decide in advance which seated event matters most to your group
- Read the Lowland Signature Dinner rules on allergies and transfers before paying
- Book a Viator tour on a date you have confirmed, and keep a backup day
- Choose a hotel by its total price, including lodging taxes
- Pack layers for mild days and cool evenings in early March
- Carry exact change for CARTA route 11 from the airport
The official site confirms the 2027 dates. It does not yet confirm the Culinary Village days, the 2027 prices of the Culinary Village, Opening Night and Street Eats, or the final Lowland price while the page is loading. Each Viator price and availability is a check made on 14 October 2026. Confirm them on the day you book.
Practical info
FAQ
Are the 2027 dates confirmed?
The official site, chswf.org, lists the 21st Charleston Wine + Food Festival for 3 to 7 March 2027. The 2026 edition ran from 4 to 8 March, so the window moves a little each year. Third-party listings show other 2027 ranges, including 4 to 8 March and 5 to 9 March, and those are not reliable. Treat individual times and venues as provisional until the official event page confirms them.
When do tickets for the 2027 festival go on sale?
According to the official site, sales were announced for Thursday 8 October at 11 a.m. Eastern time, on chswf.org. Check the ticket page for current availability. The page does not print the year, so the sale is read as 2026, which fits a sale ahead of the March 2027 festival. The site also mentions payment plans. The 2027 prices are not published yet. For reference, the Post and Courier reported a $185 pre-sale price for the 2026 festival.
What does the Lowland Signature Dinner cost and what does it include?
The event page lists $260.95 per person, fees included, with food and drinks included. The dinner runs on Thursday 4 March 2027 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Lowland, 36 George Street. The ticket is non-refundable and non-transferable, guests must be 21 or older, and children and pets are not admitted. The page also says allergy accommodations are not offered, which matters more than the price for some groups.
How much does a food tour or cooking class in Charleston cost?
On Viator, the food tours and cooking classes in this guide run from about €90 to about €227 per adult, based on a check made on 14 October 2026 with a two-adult basis. The hands-on cooking class and the history food tour start near €90, and the downtown food tour near €100. Prices move with dates and availability, so confirm the final amount at booking. Viator may display dollars to you.
Do I need a car in Charleston?
Most visitors do not. The historic peninsula is walkable, and taxis and rideshare cover the rest. From Charleston International Airport, a taxi has a published minimum fare of $17. CARTA route 11 costs $2.00, or $3.50 on the Express, and requires exact change. Several North Charleston hotels run free airport shuttles. Coastal trips to Mount Pleasant and Folly Beach are easiest on a booked tour, since they start outside the peninsula.
Is early March too cold for a week of outdoor events?
Expect mild days and cool evenings. The South Carolina State Climatology Office gives an average high near 20 °C (68.6 °F) and an average low near 8 °C (46 °F) for March, without stating the exact averaging period. Evenings cool down quickly, which matters for the late events. Rainfall is not quantified here, so check the climate table before you pack, and bring a layer for the evening.
Which Charleston neighborhood should I stay in for the festival?
Lower King and Marion Square suit first-time visitors who want to walk around the center. Harleston Village and Ansonborough are quieter, with historic houses and a residential feel. Upper King is lively late into the night, which suits night owls rather than light sleepers. One booking snapshot for March 2026 put a typical room near $199 a night, but that is a single data point, not a published rate.
Sources
- Charleston Wine + Food Festival, official site — Charleston Wine + Food
- Lowland Signature Dinner, official event page — Charleston Wine + Food
- CARTA rider FAQs — CARTA
- CARTA visitor services — CARTA
- Charleston International Airport, ground transportation — Charleston County Aviation Authority
- City of Charleston, hospitality tax — City of Charleston
- Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor — National Park Service
- Charleston's 8 essential dishes, and where to try them — AFAR
- Charleston neighborhood guide — AFAR
- Charleston Wine + Food 2026 tickets — The Post and Courier
- South Carolina March climate data — South Carolina State Climatology Office