Calendar of Events

Slow Food Tennessee Valley is happy to announce that the Twelfth Annual Pesto Festo will be held on Sunday, September 15th from 4pm-8pm at RT Lodge in Maryville.

(Please take note that this year's Pesto Festo will take place on a SUNDAY, rather than the usual Saturday. We've also moved the start time up a little bit so that we can get everyone home at a decent hour.)

Chef Trevor Stockton will prepare a rustic Southern meal featuring locally-sourced ingredients. We'll post more information about the menu as it becomes available.

The event is BYOB, so feel free to bring a bottle of your favorite wine or growler of your favorite beer. Hexagon Brewing Co. will be on hand to provide beer tastings, as always, and Old City Java will provide their usual after dinner coffee.

And it wouldn't be Pesto Festo without a pesto contest! Guests are encouraged to bring a jar of their best pesto for our pesto contest. Prizes will be awarded for the "best traditional" and "most creative" pestos (judged categories) and "people's choice" (audience vote). All guests are eligible to vote for the people's choice, whether they enter a pesto in the contest or not, so come prepared to taste some pesto and cast a vote for your favorite!

Pesto tasting is always better with a little music, wouldn't you say? That's why we're delighted Blount County's own Pistol Creek Catch of the Day will be serenading us with some of their self-proclaimed "happy music" at this year's event.

Don't forget to stop by our silent auction; we'll have a fine selection of items from some generous local businesses and organizations. Proceeds from the auction will fund our 2020 community enrichment grants.

Tickets are $50 for non-members and $45 for SFTV members (members, please send us a DM on social media or email us at info@slowfoodtnvalley.org for your discount code).

And remember, Slow Food Tennessee Valley strives for zero waste events, so please bring your own place settings, including plate(s), silverware, wine/beer & water glasses, and napkin.

This year's Pesto Festo is shaping up to be a great one; we hope to see you there!