- Dates
- Wednesday Sept 23 soirée · Thursday Sept 24 Opening Night BBQ · Friday Sept 25 Grand Taste Day 1 · Saturday Sept 26 Grand Taste Day 2, followed by the Chef Closing Party
- Location
- Big Sky Events Arena, 450 Aspen Leaf Dr, Big Sky, Montana
- Format
- Three-day festival. Thursday Opening Night BBQ, then two full festival days at the central tented site with events in the evening
- Grand Taste Day 1 (Friday)
- Doors 10:30 AM · VIP GT 11:00–11:30 AM · GT #1 11:30 AM–1:30 PM · talent break and tent reset 1:30–2:30 PM · GT #2 2:30–4:30 PM · festival closes 5:00 PM. 16 chefs, 13 wineries
- Grand Taste Day 2 (Saturday)
- Same shape as Day 1. 17 chefs, 14 wineries pouring
- Cooking Demos
- Two demos per day, talent arrives 30 minutes prior. Friday Sept 25 — Eduardo Garcia & Ming Tsai 10:45–11:30 AM, Marc Forgione & Ming Tsai 1:45–2:30 PM. Saturday Sept 26 — Felipe Riccio, June Rodil & Ming Tsai 10:45–11:30 AM, Nancy Silverton & Ming Tsai 1:45–2:30 PM
- Music
- Live music and a DJ play throughout both days. Friday Sept 25 — Corey Harper 11:45 AM–1:15 PM, Brittney Spencer 3:00–4:30 PM. Saturday Sept 26 — Sam MacPherson 11:45 AM–1:15 PM, HAFFWAY 3:00–4:30 PM
- VIP Tent
- Stationary food offerings all day (coffee, pastries, charcuterie, dessert) by Montage & YC; sommelier-led magnum service rotating throughout except during the GT break — F&B remains with bartender service during the break
- Speakeasy
- Hidden behind the VIP tent — bartender talent offering a set cocktail menu
- Grand Tasting tent
- One continuous live-edge plank with interspersed farm tables in a U: 86'-0" north run, 46'-8" east run, 86'-0" south run, with back-of-house service behind all three
- Stations — Friday
- 29 stations on the plank — 16 chefs, 13 wineries. All service is inside the tent
- Stations — Saturday
- 31 stations on the plank — 17 chefs, 14 wineries. All service is inside the tent
- Session rosters
- Each day runs two Grand Tasting sessions and the same day roster serves both — stations stay put through the 1:30–2:30 PM reset
- Load in / load out
- Chef load-in 7:00–9:30 AM, winery load-in 8:00–9:30 AM; doors 10:30 AM–5:00 PM; load out 5:30 PM or once all guests have departed
- Product storage
- 20 ft temperature-controlled container on festival grounds (450 Aspen Leaf Dr), near the prep kitchen and ice trailer
- Remaining product
- Leftover winery product is poured at the Chef Closing Party at Buck's
- Credentials
- A festival credential is required for ALL festival events — without it you will not be admitted. That covers the Wednesday Sept 23 soirée, Thursday Sept 24 Opening Night BBQ, Friday Sept 25 Grand Taste Day 1, Saturday Sept 26 Grand Taste Day 2 and the Chef Closing Party
- VIP-only spaces
- The Reserve (VIP Lounge) and Please Don't Tell Speakeasy are VIP only; Montana Mixology Tent is open to all
- Station collateral
- Wineries may bring personalized collateral but are asked to keep it small so all stations feel cohesive
- Prep kitchen — day of
- Chefs serving that day may come in at 7:00 AM to start prep
- Prep kitchen — day before
- Chefs who want to prep the day before may use the prep kitchen from 10:00 AM. The kitchen is open Thursday Sept 24 to allow prep for the chefs serving Friday Sept 25.
- Opening Night shuttles
- Two 55-passenger chef shuttles depart the Huntley Hotel at 5:15 PM and 5:30 PM on Thursday Sept 24 for the Opening Night BBQ at The Barn
