Did you know that by attending Euphoria, Greenville’s food, wine, and music festival, you would get the chance to rub elbows with community leaders, celebrity chefs, recording artists, and members of the national media and raise a little money for charity in the process? All the profits from this opportunity to enjoy Greenville, familiarize oneself with the culinary arts, sip lovely libations, and jam out with Nashville’s best singer-songwriters go to charities that benefit the Greenville community.
Last year, O Magazine Associate Editor Katie Arnold-Ratliff attended the seventh annual Euphoria weekend and was swept off her feet. Consequently, Greenville and Euphoria were put on Oprah’s list of “Favorite Things.”
Ratliff had this to say: “Greenville, South Carolina. I went there for a food and music festival called Euphoria, and I left feeling like I had experienced the best of the South...Before I went I’d never heard of the place, but I can’t wait to go back.”
Euphoria is not just a first-class food and music festival; the event promotes Greenville and the Upstate while actively giving back to and improving that community.
Event Director Gillian Trimboli-Zettler discussed how important the residents of the Upstate are to the success of Euphoria. She described the locals as ambassadors for Greenville; they guarantee first-time visitors will come back for more.
“Residents are proud of the Upstate and are Greenville’s biggest cheerleaders,” Trimboli-Zettler said.
Euphoria helps promote the city of Greenville from a tourism perspective, but it also gives back to the community by raising money for local charities. Trimboli-Zettler says that all proceeds from Euphoria 2013 will be distributed through Local Boys Do Good, the nonprofit organization that produces the festival and has distributed funds to such organizations as The Music Club of Greenville, Project HOPE Foundation, Slow Food Upstate, and the Meyer Center for Special Children.
There are several ways you as a student can participate. First, you can purchase a ticket. All of the events are a la carte, so you can attend one event or many. These events include tasting events, cooking demonstrations, wine and beer seminars, and live musical performances. If you decide you really want to immerse yourself in the festival, then you have the option to buy a VIP Pass, Headliner Pass, or the Opening Act Pass. These three packages allow you to attend the major events along with exclusive experiences. The VIP Pass even includes complimentary transportation to Euphoria happenings provided by Land Rover of Greenville — no need to deal with parking!
Purchasing a ticket is not the only way to get involved; Euphoria flourishes because of its volunteers. The festival needs volunteers to help with everything from pouring beverages to arranging flowers and greeting guests. Volunteer coordinator Arynn Carswell said that volunteering is a fun way to give back to the community while mingling with guests and listening to live music. If you are interested in volunteering send an email to info@euphoriagreenville.com and a staff member will contact you.
When asked, Trimboli-Zettler said that her favorite event is Taste of the South presented by Verizon Wireless. This event will offer fare from the best chefs in the Upstate, the mingling sounds of the Reedy River and Grammy award-winning recording artist Kim Carnes, along with the scenic setting of the the TD Stage at the Peace Center.
Euphoria has two new events this year. First, Swine and Dine is what Trimboli-Zettler calls a “honkey-tonk outdoor pig roast.” Yes — a whole hog will be roasted in NOMA Square to kick-off the Euphoria weekend. Second, Traffic Jam is a new event inspired by the growing popularity of food trucks. Traffic Jam will include music to “jam” out to, plenty of drink, and food trucks serving surprisingly gourmet creations.
You can start engaging with Euphoria on social media now by using #AchieveEuphoria or heading to the Euphoria Facebook page.