A major new destination event is coming up fast and the time to get tickets is now before they’re snapped up.
Whiskey, Wine & Wildlife, presented by Publix and GreenWise Market, will be held Nov. 4-6 in Vilano Beach and will feature a host of activities and events.
A creation of Jan Gourley, who also launched the popular annual St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival, Whiskey, Wine & Wildlife had been a staple of Jekyll Island, Georgia, for the past eight years. But when St. Johns Cultural Council Executive Director Christina Parrish Stone asked Gourley if she could move the festival here, providing a culinary destination event for November prior to the Nights of Lights, the answer was yes.
Interest has been high since the event was first announced.
“It’s selling really well,” said Gourley. “I have a feeling we’ll probably sell out.”
In fact, there may not be any available tickets at the door. For that reason, she encouraged everyone to buy tickets ahead of time.
All three days, there will be guided tours through the GTM Reserve, each followed by a wine-and-cheese reception. Tours begin at 3 p.m. Nov. 4, 10:30 a.m. Nov. 5 and 11:30 a.m. Nov. 6. For tickets and information, go to whiskeywineandwildlife.com/events/guided-tours-cheese-paired-reception.
Whiskey, Wine & Wildlife begins Nov. 4 with master classes at Vilano Main Street Diner, 140 Vilano Road, St. Augustine, featuring local and celebrity chefs and beverage experts. For details and to buy tickets, go to whiskeywineandwildlife.com/events/master-class-pours.
Whiskey Inspired “Pig Pickin” on the Pier will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. that night at the Vilano Pier. Guests will enjoy a variety of unlimited whiskies, wines and beers and culinary bites with whole hog barbecue and sides from Peculiar Pig Farm and Heart & SoulFood Truck. Live music will be provided by Yael & Gabriel. For tickets and information, go to whiskeywineandwildlife.com/events/whiskey-inspired.
The W3 Main Event, a block party on Vivian Browning Avenue, will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Nov. 5. Guests will enjoy tasting award-winning Best Taste dishes from some of the region’s best restaurants and hundreds of beverage tastings. Music from Laiken Love & The Fellowship of Love. There will be celebrity chefs on the Publix Cooking Demonstration Stage, an artisan market, wildlife demonstrations and more. For a schedule and tickets, go to whiskeywineandwildlife.com/events/w3.
The Vilano Beach Main Street Silent Auction will be held the same day.
The W3 Sunday Jazz Brunch will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Casa Monica Resort & Spa, 95 Cordova St., St. Augustine. Live music will be provided by Jim Johnston. For information or tickets, go to whiskeywineandwildlife.com/events/sunday-brunch.
Because parking is limited around Vilano Beach, guests may park at North Beach Park and North Shores Park, and Old Town Trolley Tours will provide a shuttle on a continuous loop to and from the event. There will also be a water shuttle from downtown St. Augustine to the Vilano Beach Pier. For details, go to whiskeywineandwildlife.com/parking-shuttles.
The main website for the event is whiskeywineandwildlife.com.
“I’m super excited,” said Gourley, “because the destination is totally embracing it.”
