This Post in is Partnership with Garden & Gun.

This summer, from June 9th until June 12th, my friends and I will be attending Sea Island’s Southern Grown festival in southeast GA. For those of you who were lucky enough to attend last year’s inaugural event, you’re already familiar with the festival that is a celebration of all things Southern: from food to drinks and music. This year, Garden & Gun is collaborating with Sea Island to expand the festival and take it to the next level. Since Garden & Gun‘s mission is to cover the best events in the South, their partnership with Sea Island is a match made in heaven. Garden & Gun has created a special package that includes two exclusive G&G events: the Garden & Gun Dinner and a Show and a Lunch for their cookbook. You’ll also receive all-access passes to all Southern Grown events for the weekend. If you’re planning to attend Southern Grown, then you should definitely purchase a G&G Pass now. You won’t want to miss this exciting festival and all the events Garden & Gun and Sea Island have to offer! 

The weekend itinerary includes top southern chefs, award-winning bands and an assortment of instructional sessions and lectures, referred to as Southern Grown University. For those of you that love baking, Sea Island’s Executive Pastry Chef, Cortney Harris, will be teaching a class that you can’t pass up: How to Make the Quintessential 12-Layer Cake. Anyone that’s into local breweries has to attend an exciting class called Fermentation Experimentation which is all about the art of brewing. They will also discuss the flavor profiles and how to choose the ideal grains, hops and yeast for your beer. Last year, one of my favorites sessions was the pasta making class at Tavola, which also happens to be my favorite Italian restaurant. I learned about how to properly use flour when preparing pasta, how to make different types of noodles, and tips for preparing and cooking my favorite pastas. This year’s line up ranges from BBQ battles and culinary gardening, to the art of southern hospitality and the multitude of ways to prepare oysters.

As a Southern Grown enthusiast, I’m sharing a few of my most anticipated events for this year. However, you can see the full list of events at the Southern Grown website.

Garden & Gun Dinner and Show. The festival kicks off Thursday evening with an exclusive Garden & Gun dinner followed by a show. James Beard, award-winning Chef Mike Lata, and Chef Nico Romo will team up to prepare a world-class dinner at a secret location with entertainment to follow! Not only will you get to party with Garden & Gun but also the speakeasy dinner theme is sure to make for an epic night. 

The Southerner’s Cookbook Lunch. As a Garden & Gun pass holder, you’ll have the opportunity to attend a private luncheon Friday afternoon for their cookbook with Editor-in-Chief David DiBenedetto and cookbook contributors John Currence, Griffin Bufkin, and Harrison Sapp. (On the island, Griffin and Harrison are known as our local Southern Soul BBQ celebrities). If you’re not familiar with the G&G cookbook, then you have to check it out. It’s my go-to cookbook, not only for the trusted recipes, but also for the traditions, tales, and techniques that will immerse you in the South’s culinary past, present, and future. I’ve learned many tricks from this cookbook, including perfecting the art of spicing a Bloody Mary (which is Casey’s favorite drink).

Meat & Three Dinner. The Meat & Three Dinner is another fabulous culinary affair that will take place on Friday at the Black Banks Terrace, overlooking the breathtaking Black Banks river. This community-style soiree centers around chefs who will be showcasing their favorite dishes. The celebration will include games on the lawn and live music from The Black Cadillacs. All beverages are included so you can sip on your favorite cocktail while watching the always gorgeous sunset over the river. If you follow me on Instagram, then you probably seen a preview of these sunsets since I’m always trying to capture the perfect Sea Island sunset shot.

Southern Grown Concert. On Saturday night, you’ll enjoy a concert featuring GRAMMY Award-winning artists Jason Isbell and Tedeschi Trucks Band, with Dumpstaphunk kicking off the night! The festivities takes place at the Lodge at Sea Island, which is the ultimate location for a concert in my opinion. The combination of the ocean views, live oak trees draped with Spanish moss and the beautiful grounds of Sea Island will appeal to all of your senses and make you wonder if this is real life! If you’ve ever been to a Sea Island Event, then you know the beverages will be on point!

Farewell Y’all Brunch. The weekend concludes with a traditional Southern brunch where you can expect endless biscuits and gravy, bacon, house-made hash browns and other favorite Sunday staples! The ultimate ending to the perfect weekend.

The festival includes many more events of note such as the MarketPlace at Rainbow Island, Storied Spirits, and Dinner on the Lawn. If you’re anticipating this festival and want to hear more about the special events you have to look forward to, then you can read about them at the Southern Grown website. Hope to see you there!

Images Provided by Sea Island and Garden & Gun