One of the reasons may just be that Edwin McCain, platinum selling singer/songwriter and local legend, is co-founder of the event. After releasing seven albums and selling over 2 million copies, he continues to perform hundreds concerts throughout the country each year, but for the fifth straight year he will return home to Greenville for Euphoria.
Euphoria's mission has always been not only to showcase culinary delights from local chefs paired with exquisite wines from around the world, but to emphasize music along with the experience throughout the weekend. Ultimately, the weekend is for charity. McCain co-founded an organization, Local Boys Do Good, along with restaurateur and longtime friend Carl Sobocinski. Since its beginning, LBDG has given away more than $100,000 to local charities for children, food and the arts.
The 5th Annual Euphoria will be September 23-26, 2010. The lineup includes:
Thursday, September 23: Singer/Songwriter Event at the Upstate Children's Museum
Edwin McCain and others will have a round table open discussion about the writing process, and give live acoustic performances throughout the evening.
Friday, September 24: Taste of the South:
The perfect way to spend a Friday evening. Under the stars in downtown Greenville. Along the soothing currents of the Reedy River. Listening to live music by Edwin McCain, Grammy winning Shawn Colvin, and more. Dining on a full array of Southern dishes from a selection of the Upstate's finest restaurants. And pairing it with your favorite wine, beer or soft drink. Taste it all.
Saturday, September 25: Tasting Showcase, Wine Seminars and Cooking Demonstrations
Sip. Sample. Taste. And learn how they do what they do. Saturday morning kicks off with acclaimed chefs, local culinary stars, master sommeliers and talented musicians sharing insights on their craft through seminars and culinary demonstrations complemented with live musical performances. The Tasting Showcase features a Grand Wine Tasting, Gourmet food sampling and numerous lifestyle and cooking resources on display.
Saturday Night Wine Dinners
Achieve euphoria through the superb art of wining and dining as guest chefs and winemakers from around the country combine their talents to host multi-course dinners at a select group of downtown restaurants. Your higher state awaits.
Sunday, September 26: Jazz Brunch and Culinary Cook-off
The Reedy River feels more like a bayou for this New Orleans-style brunch buffet featuring dishes from nearly 20 local restaurants and live jazz music from acclaimed Jazz musicians Walter Blanding, Mark Rapp and others. Taste the spice, listen to the groove and let the good times roll. It's not all fun and games for our chefs and musicians. OK, it is...but in this event, we really put their talents to the test. Local and guest chefs team up to compete in multiple sessions of entertaining and educational live cooking demonstrations, while musicians display their talents as well, finishing Euphoria on a truly high note.
From Thomas Keller to Frank Stitt, Branford Marsalis to Drivin N Cryin, the first few years of Euphoria have been filled with big names, big sounds and big flavors--all hosted in the intimate, small-town setting of one of the South's most celebrated downtowns. Greenville's fifth year of Euphoria promises to be just as exciting. Please feel free to visit euphoriagreenville.com to see last year's event photos and the full schedule and bios of this year's participants.
