Led by the industry's top talent, this year's
programming is supported by new and returning partners, and
features discussions on the legacy of rice, BBQ and jerk
demonstrations, wine and spirit classes, family lunches and evening
celebrations.
Multi-day event is presented by Chef
Kwame Onwuachi in collaboration with
Sheila Johnson's Salamander
Collection and FOOD & WINE
MIDDLEBURG, Va., July 18,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Family Reunion, the
country's preeminent culinary celebration of color and excellence,
has announced its slate of culturally rich programming for the
inspiring and inclusive gathering next month.
The sold-out August 15-18 event is
helmed by some of the industry's top talent including
Nyesha Arrington, Mashama Bailey, Rodney
Scott, Carla Hall,
Gregory Gourdet, Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Alexander Smalls and more. For 2024, The Family
Reunion has a new charitable philanthropic beneficiary – the
Culinary Institute of America,
Onwuachi's alma mater. The event has also attracted new and
elevated sponsors for 2024, including Appleton Estate, Wells
Fargo, Amazon, Lexus, United and
Virginia Tourism Corporation.
Presented by Chef, Restaurateur and Author Kwame Onwuachi in collaboration with
Sheila Johnson's
Salamander Collection and FOOD & WINE, the
multi-day event crosses culinary boundaries and combines
thought-provoking panel discussions, topical cooking
demonstrations, inspiring recreational activities, daily "family"
lunches, vibrant evening parties and late-night afterglows. Since
being launched in 2021, The Family Reunion has become one of the
nation's premier and most-popular culinary events – quickly selling
out with approximately 1,000 people attending each day.
New this year, Appleton Estate, the premium spirit sponsor of
The Family Reunion, will collaborate on a variety of programming
designed to immerse guests in its rich Jamaican heritage, spotlight
rum's cultural relevance and educate on the important role rum
plays in the country's culinary history. Sessions, including the
return of the popular breakout, 'Jerk: The Dish That Freed a
Nation', will pair Appleton Estate Deputy Master Blender David
Morrison with chefs Andre Fowles and
Osei "Chef Picky" Blackett to lead guests through an in-depth
tasting of special Appleton Estate expressions, cocktails and
delicious jerk cuisine. Wells Fargo will spotlight the event's
legacy through a social media campaign featuring The
Family Reunion's Lifetime Achievement Award recipients, while
United Airlines and Virginia Tourism Corporation will present the
opening night cookout, showcasing legendary pitmaster chefs
Bryan Furman, Rodney Scott, Kevin Bludso, and Virginia Ali/Ben's Chili Bowl.
On day two, Amazon will present the Family-Style Lunch featuring
award-winning restaurants Tatiana and Kann, and pastry chef
Maya-Camille Broussard. Similarly,
lunch on Saturday will feature Virtue, pastry chef Camari Mick and the unveiling of menu items from
Dōgon, Kwame Onwuachi's highly
anticipated restaurant in Washington,
D.C., opening later this summer.
Breakout sessions will again be varied and include A Noble
Grain: The Legacy of Rice in America presented by FOOD & WINE,
featuring a conversation with Alexander
Smalls, George McCalman and
Serigne Mbaye on the origins of rice
in America. Favorite chef-led activities like ziplining and Family
Field Day will be returning, as will the event's version of the
reality show Chopped, where teams will turn mystery ingredients
into incredible dishes judged by celebrity judges. Saturday night's
Block Party finale, presented by Wells Fargo, will showcase a
throwback 90s theme, while there will be a stellar lineup of
surprise musical performances throughout the weekend. The Family
Reunion concludes on Sunday, August
18 with an inspiring Sunday
Service with Gospel Choir.
Supported by Salamander's talented culinary team, The Family
Reunion's exceptional strong 2024 roster of talent includes:
Virginia Ali, Nyesha Arrington, Mashama Bailey, Shorne Benjamin, Osei "Chef
Picky" Blackett, Kevin Bludso, Tavel Bristol-Joseph,
Maya-Camille Broussard, Damarr Brown, Adrienne
Cheatham, Preston Clark,
Tiffany Derry, Andre
Fowles, Bryan Furman, Gregory Gourdet, Carla Hall, Jessica B.
Harris, Brian Jupiter,
Vallery Lomas, Serigne Mbaye, Mawa
McQueen, Camari Mick,
Charlie Mitchell, Lamar
Moore, Nina Oduro, Kwame
Onwuachi, Ken Pettus,
Millie Peartree, Jamila
Robinson, JR Robinson, Pierre Serrao, Rodney Scott,
Alexander Smalls, David Thomas, Tonya
Thomas, Georgiana Viou,
Douglass Williams, Erick Williams and Melba
Wilson.
The Family Reunion nurtures, develops and celebrates racial and
ethnic diversity within the next generation of hospitality
professionals. The celebration takes place at Johnson's Salamander
Middleburg resort, which is one of only five properties in the
USA and 13 worldwide to hold
Forbes Five-Star ratings for accommodations, spa and dining.
Experiences take place throughout Salamander's 340 acres, including
its Culinary Garden and Library. There is also an outdoor Grand
Stage venue hosting a rotating lineup of meals and events.
The only African American woman to wholly own a Forbes Five-Star
resort, Sheila Johnson is renowned
for co-founding Black Entertainment Television. In addition to
collaborating on The Family Reunion, Johnson and Kwame Onwuachi are partnering to create a
vibrant new restaurant, Dōgon, at Johnson's Salamander Washington
DC hotel. Onwuachi, who owns the acclaimed Tatiana in New York City, has penned multiple books like
his successful memoir Notes from a Young Black Chef and
the bestselling cookbook My
America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef.
The 2024 Family Reunion event enjoys partnership support
Salamander Collection, FOOD & WINE, Appleton Estate, Wells
Fargo, Amazon, United Airlines, Virginia Tourism Corporation,
Coca-Cola, Lexus, Toast, Ecolab, Select Events, Inspire, Zigma
World, La Colombe, Visit Loudoun and AmaWaterways.
To see The Family Reunion schedule in its entirety,
visit www.salamanderhotels.com/familyreunion and/or follow
along on Instagram at @salamanderresort, @salamanderhotels,
@foodandwine and @chefkwameonwuachi.
About Salamander Collection
Salamander
Collection is privately owned and operated, and based in
Middleburg, VA, just outside
Washington, DC. Founded by
entrepreneur Sheila Johnson, it has
a luxury portfolio featuring the Forbes Five-Star Salamander
Middleburg, an equestrian-inspired property in the Virginia
countryside; Salamander Washington DC, an elegant hotel located
along the capital's vibrant Southwest waterfront; Half Moon, the
storied resort in Montego Bay,
Jamaica, featuring three distinct experiences including the
acclaimed Eclipse; Aspen Meadows Resort, which features sweeping
views on 40 beautiful acres in Aspen,
CO's west end and newly renovated Herbert Bayer-inspired accommodations and
arrival experience; Hotel Bennett, a spectacular grand hotel in
Charleston, SC, overlooking the
city's historic Marion Square; and
Innisbrook Resort in the St.
Petersburg/Clearwater area, which hosts the PGA TOUR's
Valspar Championship each year on its famed Copperhead Course.
www.SalamanderHotels.com.
Matt Owen, Vice President,
Communications: Salamander
Collection
380569@email4pr.com;
843-991-0213
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