July 28, 2025 • 7 mins
Chief Operating Officer of Traverse City Tourism Whitney Waara joins Talk of the Town to discuss the first ever Traverse City Food and Wine Festival.
More information can be found here: https://www.traversecity.com/food-wine/
More information can be found here: https://www.traversecity.com/food-wine/
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, it's not often we get to use the word inaugural.
Here on Talk of the Town. It's Steve Kelly and
Brett Bikita on Wood Radio. We're from West Michigan's Morning News,
but the COO of Traverse City Tourism, Whitney Wara, in
studio with us. Whitney, thanks for.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Doing this today, Good morning, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
It's coming up in Traverse City August twentieth through twenty fourth,
and tickets are on sale now for the first ever.
I believe that's what inaugural means. Travers City Food and
Wine five day Farm to Table Festival. Talk to us
a little bit about the big event.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Absolutely, well, we really wanted to take the opportunity to
celebrate our agriculture, our wonderful value added products, all of
our craft beverages in the area. The Traver's Wine Coast
has over fifty wineries. Now we have a wonderful culinary
scene where the restaurants are really taking on that farmed
table vibe, and this was the perfect time to bring
(00:54):
this together. The businesses have all jumped in and said
that they were on board, and this event has just
come together and we're super excited to be hosting.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
It, and you've got a lot of different things going
on a lot of different places, but there is a
central location, just like there is for Chury Festival, which
we're set up with right on the water. You got
to have Lake Michigan as the backdrop, right sure.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
So we've got the beautiful open space park that will
be the host site for a couple of our events.
Our Grand Tasting on Saturday, August twenty third is going
to be taking place there, so that's going on from
noon to four, but we're also using that same venue
since we're setting it up for a couple of other activities.
We have Tyler Florence coming in from about a twenty
nine year veteran of the Food Network. He's going to
(01:37):
be doing a really cool demonstration from his cookbook American
Grill there on Friday afternoon. Yeah, and then we'll have
a handful of other events there. But people can kind
of really pick and choose and be able to go
throughout the region to our wineries and other locations to
enjoy these experiences.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
And Whitney not to put you on the spot, but
what is it with you people in Travers City. There
are a lot of vacation towns and destinations that just
rely on what you see in the background. You obviously
have the beautiful bay and all sorts of stuff to do.
And I don't know if you've ever been on vacation
and you walk around one of these little tourist towns
and there's nothing but t shirt shops and fried food.
(02:19):
Traverse City is all of those things with the beautiful backdrop,
but it's a foody town and it's all year round.
Talk to us a little bit about the restaurants and
that culinary scene that's there all the time.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah. Absolutely. I think one of the beautiful things about
the state of Michigan. You know, we've got this great
agricultural diversity, second only to California and agricultural diversity, and
our area is right in the heart of it. Almost
all of those products are grown or produced right there
in our area too. And so I think that what
has happened is the chefs and the businesses have said, hey,
we really want to take advantage of what's going on,
(02:53):
and they've created wonderful partnerships with the you know, with
the agricultural growers and a lot of the chefs. You know,
they have a backyard garden, and so they're kind of going, well,
what's right now. They're very into the seasonality. They're very
curious about how to use something different, you know, the
flowers or the herbs or whatever, and they play with it.
You know, they're creative, they're interested, and they're passionate about it.
(03:16):
And I think that you know, they just have a
lot of fun and they just can't stop.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Time is ticking because this went on sale as far
as different events and tickets on Friday, June thirteenth, way
back when. So what's the best resource, And yeah, there
are some that are already sold out, so make sure
and check. The website's probably the best.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Resource, right absolutely, Trevor's Cityfood Andwine dot Com has all
of the ticket information. And yes, there are several events
already sold out. Like we said, we have about seventy events,
but maybe about twenty of those have sold out. Now.
We're really encouraging people, especially if you have a sweet
spot for something that you really want to get into,
you got to get them now. They're going to be
available right up until the end. But I you know
(03:57):
the ones that are left Trevors Cityfoodwine dot Com yep.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
So The other thing is there's a little round table
going on. This isn't just local artists, local chefs. You're
bringing in people from all over the country that are
experts about this stuff. You mentioned Tyler Florence, But at
the main stage and the Grand Taste, it's going to
be hosted by Carter Oosterhouse. Did you know who his
wife is, Amy Smart.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Yeah, you've got the.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Press release in front of you. Talk to us a
little bit about that event where we're going to hear
some of the world's best chefs having an open conversation
and we can take away some of that stuff.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Yeah, there's a lot of great opportunities with the Grand Tasting,
You'll be able to see lots of different chef demos,
and then the food that they're prepping on stage, you're
going to get a chance to taste as well. So
we really wanted to make sure that that experience was
robust and a full experience. We're going to have recipe
cards for people to take back with them. Carter and
Amy are hosting that main stage and hosting a lot
of the conversations with the chefs, and we'll have over
(04:53):
one hundred different wines, beers, ciders, all kinds of non
alcoholic offerings as well, of course for those who don't
want to, and we will, We'll just be having a
fun afternoon. I imagine it's going to be the most beautiful
sunny day with the big in the background. How can
you you know, how can you beat that? If not?
Speaker 1 (05:08):
There's a tent and there's other there's like fifty other
venues that are ticketed for this thing too, right, Yep.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Absolutely. We've got a couple of events with like the
National Writers Series, and those are going to be a
little bit more of a deep dive with these chefs,
so there will be an on stage conversation at the
City Opera House. On Friday, we've got Anthony Perorski and
he's been on Queer Eye and he's also now hosting
a show called No Taste Like Home on nat GEO.
(05:34):
He's going to give us a really fun rundown of
both his kind of culinary perspective as a couple of cookbooks.
But I think he'll have some great stories about his
work with celebrities and their food explorations as part of
their genealogy. The next day, we've got Maelyn and Sarah
Welch from the Detroit area who's now moving up to
Travers City and opening her new restaurant on both where
(05:55):
she is, Yeah, as well as a producer who's been
They've both all been part of Top Chef and a
number of different culinary competition shows. So some of them
may has been a judge as well, So they're going
to sort of share the inside, behind the scenes, look
at what it's like to be on those crazy shows.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Well, if there's any meter as far as what this
thing's going to do and how it's going to take off,
if we just judge the Grand Rapids Food and Wine
event that we're involved with, which is in Devas Place,
it has been going on for years. Every year it
gets bigger and better. More people want to be a
part of it. I can certainly see this, as Steve mentioned,
with the time with Traverse City and like you said, celebrities,
I mean, celebrities love to vacation in the summer and
(06:34):
come to Travers City. That California connection is real. Besides
just the agriculture side.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Absolutely, I think we definitely see a big influx and yeah,
you'll walk down the street and occasionally go, hey, I
know that face. Wait a minute, that's not my neighbor exactly.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
Traverse Cityfooddwine dot com. That's Travers Cityfood and Wine dot com.
For more information, you'll want to stay several days. Sandy
and I hope to be up there as well that weekend.
And well, I don't know why we're not added on
the press release, but.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Just so you know, right below, Amy Smart.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
I'm writing that in congratulations on a Travers City does
so many things right right off the bat. I'm sure
it'll be a huge success and we'll get you here
same time next year to talk about the second annual.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Can't wait.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Amy Whitney Wara is Travers City Tourism COO. Great stuff,
Thank you for coming in today.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Thanks so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
This is Talk of the Town on news Radio with
thirteen hundred and one oh six nine FM.
Well, it's not often we get to use the word inaugural.
Here on Talk of the Town. It's Steve Kelly and
Brett Bikita on Wood Radio. We're from West Michigan's Morning News,
but the COO of Traverse City Tourism, Whitney Wara, in
studio with us. Whitney, thanks for.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Doing this today, Good morning, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
It's coming up in Traverse City August twentieth through twenty fourth,
and tickets are on sale now for the first ever.
I believe that's what inaugural means. Travers City Food and
Wine five day Farm to Table Festival. Talk to us
a little bit about the big event.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Absolutely, well, we really wanted to take the opportunity to
celebrate our agriculture, our wonderful value added products, all of
our craft beverages in the area. The Traver's Wine Coast
has over fifty wineries. Now we have a wonderful culinary
scene where the restaurants are really taking on that farmed
table vibe, and this was the perfect time to bring
(00:54):
this together. The businesses have all jumped in and said
that they were on board, and this event has just
come together and we're super excited to be hosting.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
It, and you've got a lot of different things going
on a lot of different places, but there is a
central location, just like there is for Chury Festival, which
we're set up with right on the water. You got
to have Lake Michigan as the backdrop, right sure.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
So we've got the beautiful open space park that will
be the host site for a couple of our events.
Our Grand Tasting on Saturday, August twenty third is going
to be taking place there, so that's going on from
noon to four, but we're also using that same venue
since we're setting it up for a couple of other activities.
We have Tyler Florence coming in from about a twenty
nine year veteran of the Food Network. He's going to
(01:37):
be doing a really cool demonstration from his cookbook American
Grill there on Friday afternoon. Yeah, and then we'll have
a handful of other events there. But people can kind
of really pick and choose and be able to go
throughout the region to our wineries and other locations to
enjoy these experiences.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
And Whitney not to put you on the spot, but
what is it with you people in Travers City. There
are a lot of vacation towns and destinations that just
rely on what you see in the background. You obviously
have the beautiful bay and all sorts of stuff to do.
And I don't know if you've ever been on vacation
and you walk around one of these little tourist towns
and there's nothing but t shirt shops and fried food.
(02:19):
Traverse City is all of those things with the beautiful backdrop,
but it's a foody town and it's all year round.
Talk to us a little bit about the restaurants and
that culinary scene that's there all the time.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah. Absolutely. I think one of the beautiful things about
the state of Michigan. You know, we've got this great
agricultural diversity, second only to California and agricultural diversity, and
our area is right in the heart of it. Almost
all of those products are grown or produced right there
in our area too. And so I think that what
has happened is the chefs and the businesses have said, hey,
we really want to take advantage of what's going on,
(02:53):
and they've created wonderful partnerships with the you know, with
the agricultural growers and a lot of the chefs. You know,
they have a backyard garden, and so they're kind of going, well,
what's right now. They're very into the seasonality. They're very
curious about how to use something different, you know, the
flowers or the herbs or whatever, and they play with it.
You know, they're creative, they're interested, and they're passionate about it.
(03:16):
And I think that you know, they just have a
lot of fun and they just can't stop.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Time is ticking because this went on sale as far
as different events and tickets on Friday, June thirteenth, way
back when. So what's the best resource, And yeah, there
are some that are already sold out, so make sure
and check. The website's probably the best.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Resource, right absolutely, Trevor's Cityfood Andwine dot Com has all
of the ticket information. And yes, there are several events
already sold out. Like we said, we have about seventy events,
but maybe about twenty of those have sold out. Now.
We're really encouraging people, especially if you have a sweet
spot for something that you really want to get into,
you got to get them now. They're going to be
available right up until the end. But I you know
(03:57):
the ones that are left Trevors Cityfoodwine dot Com yep.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
So The other thing is there's a little round table
going on. This isn't just local artists, local chefs. You're
bringing in people from all over the country that are
experts about this stuff. You mentioned Tyler Florence, But at
the main stage and the Grand Taste, it's going to
be hosted by Carter Oosterhouse. Did you know who his
wife is, Amy Smart.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Yeah, you've got the.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Press release in front of you. Talk to us a
little bit about that event where we're going to hear
some of the world's best chefs having an open conversation
and we can take away some of that stuff.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Yeah, there's a lot of great opportunities with the Grand Tasting,
You'll be able to see lots of different chef demos,
and then the food that they're prepping on stage, you're
going to get a chance to taste as well. So
we really wanted to make sure that that experience was
robust and a full experience. We're going to have recipe
cards for people to take back with them. Carter and
Amy are hosting that main stage and hosting a lot
of the conversations with the chefs, and we'll have over
(04:53):
one hundred different wines, beers, ciders, all kinds of non
alcoholic offerings as well, of course for those who don't
want to, and we will, We'll just be having a
fun afternoon. I imagine it's going to be the most beautiful
sunny day with the big in the background. How can
you you know, how can you beat that? If not?
Speaker 1 (05:08):
There's a tent and there's other there's like fifty other
venues that are ticketed for this thing too, right, Yep.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Absolutely. We've got a couple of events with like the
National Writers Series, and those are going to be a
little bit more of a deep dive with these chefs,
so there will be an on stage conversation at the
City Opera House. On Friday, we've got Anthony Perorski and
he's been on Queer Eye and he's also now hosting
a show called No Taste Like Home on nat GEO.
(05:34):
He's going to give us a really fun rundown of
both his kind of culinary perspective as a couple of cookbooks.
But I think he'll have some great stories about his
work with celebrities and their food explorations as part of
their genealogy. The next day, we've got Maelyn and Sarah
Welch from the Detroit area who's now moving up to
Travers City and opening her new restaurant on both where
(05:55):
she is, Yeah, as well as a producer who's been
They've both all been part of Top Chef and a
number of different culinary competition shows. So some of them
may has been a judge as well, So they're going
to sort of share the inside, behind the scenes, look
at what it's like to be on those crazy shows.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Well, if there's any meter as far as what this
thing's going to do and how it's going to take off,
if we just judge the Grand Rapids Food and Wine
event that we're involved with, which is in Devas Place,
it has been going on for years. Every year it
gets bigger and better. More people want to be a
part of it. I can certainly see this, as Steve mentioned,
with the time with Traverse City and like you said, celebrities,
I mean, celebrities love to vacation in the summer and
(06:34):
come to Travers City. That California connection is real. Besides
just the agriculture side.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Absolutely, I think we definitely see a big influx and yeah,
you'll walk down the street and occasionally go, hey, I
know that face. Wait a minute, that's not my neighbor exactly.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
Traverse Cityfooddwine dot com. That's Travers Cityfood and Wine dot com.
For more information, you'll want to stay several days. Sandy
and I hope to be up there as well that weekend.
And well, I don't know why we're not added on
the press release, but.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Just so you know, right below, Amy Smart.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
I'm writing that in congratulations on a Travers City does
so many things right right off the bat. I'm sure
it'll be a huge success and we'll get you here
same time next year to talk about the second annual.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Can't wait.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Amy Whitney Wara is Travers City Tourism COO. Great stuff,
Thank you for coming in today.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Thanks so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
This is Talk of the Town on news Radio with
thirteen hundred and one oh six nine FM.
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