National country recording star Corey Smith will take the stage as the headliner act for the two-day Texas Pete® Culinary Arts Festival presented by Wells Fargo and the Winston-Salem Journal, which will be held September 20 and 21 in the downtown Winston-Salem Arts District.
With seven studio albums, Smith has amassed an ever-growing fan base. Smith’s appearance at the Texas Pete® Culinary Arts Festival is part of a nationwide tour that includes a fall appearance in Las Vegas with Darius Rucker. Opening for Corey Smith will be Elise Davis who released the Life EP in conjunction with her publisher earlier this year. Smith will be performing at 9 p.m. on Saturday; Davis will open for Smith at 7 p.m.
In addition, the festival will feature other national and local music talent throughout the weekend. In addition to Corey Smith and Elise Davis, Saturday’s acts will include Joe Blevins at 1 p.m., Kaleigh Baker at 2:30 p.m. and The Bo Stevens at 4 p.m.
For the festival’s Sunday musical lineup, Texas Pete partnered with the organizers of Phuzz Phest, Winston-Salem’s premier music festival to secure some of the country’s most renowned indie artists.
Brooklyn indie pop band Here We Go Magic will headline Sunday, with a start time of 6 p.m. Since their 2009 self-titled debut caught the collective ear of music fans across the country, they’ve consistently sold out live dates and recently toured with Coldplay. They’ll be joined by Athens-based folk rock band Futurebirds, described by Pitchfork Media as a “loose-limbed tangle of reverbed guitars, hollered harmonies, and driving yet contemplative Southern rock rhythms.” Futurebirds will perform at 4:40 p.m.
Sunday’s performers also include Raleigh electronic-pop artist and recent Phuzz Records signee T0W3RS at 3:20 p.m. alongside Winston-Salem folk heroes The Genuine performing at 2:10 p.m. and Cactus Black at 1 p.m.
The festival, which expects to offer a sampling of cuisines from 20 different area restaurants, will be the largest culinary showcase ever to hit the Triad. Admittance is free.
“Texas Pete is an international brand that is very proud of our Winston-Salem roots,” says Glenn Garner, vice president of marketing for TW Garner Food Company, maker of Texas Pete®. “Having worked with a number of local chefs, we know there is an unbelievable amount of culinary talent in this town ready to be showcased, and we’re excited to have a talent like Corey Smith who can attract music lovers as well as food enthusiasts.”
Texas Pete® has committed to three years as the event’s title sponsor. Garner notes his team expects the festival to become a destination event and that the addition of sponsors like Wells Fargo and the Winston-Salem Journal (and a grant from the Millennium Fund) point to the fact that area businesses recognize the festival’s potential to draw record-breaking crowds and receive national attention.
Visit www.TexasPeteFest.com for more information.
