The Local Palate, in partnership with the City With Soul and Visit Mississippi and sponsoring partners, will welcome the inaugural JXN Food and Wine Festival to downtown Jackson on March 2, 2024.

The event will be held at the Mississippi Museum of Art and Jackson Convention Complex. 

The event will feature a line-up of local and national award-winning chefs, including Jackson’s own – the festival’s Chef Chair and Season 34 Chopped winner – Nick Wallace, who will welcome co-host and Jackson-born Iron Chef Cat Cora. 

Additional chefs confirmed to participate include:  

Top Chef: Houston contestants Damarr Brown, Ashleigh Shanti, and Buddha Lo, a two-time season winner. 

Jackson Chefs 

• Fabien Biraud (Estelle) 
• Hunter Evans (Elvie’s)
• Grant Hutcheson (The Pig & Pint)
• Geno Lee (Big Apple Inn)
• Chaz Lindsay (Pulito Osteria) 
• Godfrey Morgan (Godfrey’s)
• Joseph Sambou (Sambou’s African Kitchen)
• Enrika Williams (Fauna Foodworks)  
• Eddie Wright (Eddie Wright BBQ) 

Mississippi Chefs 

• Vishwesh Bhatt (Snackbar, Oxford)
• Cooper Miller (Forklift, Tupelo) 

National Chef 

• Ming Pu (Brooklyn and the Butcher, Outcast Fish & Oyster Bar, and The Exchange Pub and Kitchen, Louisville, KY) 

All ticket holders will enjoy tastings from over 20 local and regional chefs, samples of wine, beer, spirits, and nonalcoholic offerings, a demo stage with Top Chefs, and live music.

Doors open for general admission at 6:30 p.m. VIP ticket holders are invited to arrive at 6:00 p.m. for early access, including an exclusive VIP area with hors d’oeuvres and a complimentary bar, dedicated restrooms, and a celebrity chef meet and greet.

Tickets are sold out for the event. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Mississippi Restaurant Association Education Foundation.