Bite Me food culture festival to premiere in Asheville: What to know
ASHEVILLE – Asheville is no stranger to festivals, evidenced by the myriad events coming this year with themes ranging from beer and cider to honey, and in celebration of music, art and diverse cultures. Yet, a collective of local food, beverage and media professionals see room for another festival to showcase Asheville’s culinary and craft communities.
This summer, Jefferson Ellison, an Asheville native and owner of JD Ellison & Company communications agency, and event planning committee members Jennifer Rodriguez (Asheville Guide), Sarah Fiori (Asheville Crafted Edge), and Melinda Hanley (pastry chef) will introduce a new food culture festival series: Bite Me. Bite Me is scheduled for Aug. 14-18 in various locations across the city, including restaurants and event venues.
Bite Me at a glance
The tongue-in-cheek name, Bite Me, was derived from a ChatGPT search for a name for a food festival. It’s also a response to those who initially doubted Ellison when he shared the idea of a new food culture festival.
“It is technically on brand, it is about food,” Ellison said. “There’s something nice about having this dual-purpose name that also explains the point you engage with your meal and is a stance on why we are doing something. It also gets people talking.”
Bite Me will feature local and national food and beverage industry professionals with events to include panel discussions, seated dinners, tastings, late-night after parties, vendor markets, and a Sunday cookout to close the festival.
Bite Me’s motivation and aspirations
Ellison, whose experience includes interning at New York Fashion Week as a North Carolina State University student, tapped into his years of event planning, marketing, and networking to found Bite Me. In 2018, he established JD Ellison & Company ― formerly Jawbreaking Creative ― specializing in communications, strategy, marketing, and creative production for individuals and lifestyle brands, consumer goods, and nonprofits.
In 2023, the company moved into an office on Eagle Street in the historically Black downtown neighborhood, The Block. He’s managed chefs including Shanti, Hethington, and J Chong. He’s also worked as the agency of record at the LEAF Global Arts Festival and as senior brand marketing manager at East Fork Pottery.
Gathering support
JD Ellison & Company is managing many festival aspects in-house, like marketing and event production. “It reduces the cost of us putting this on, which makes it easier for us to say, ‘Hey, we can make sure everyone involved in this is getting paid fairly,’” Ellison said.
Early sponsors to commit monetary and in-kind support include East Fork Pottery, Wicked Weed Brewing, and the Asheville Downtown Association, which will offer assistance, like digital marketing, volunteers, venue use, and production equipment, such as tables, chairs, and tents. The ADA is providing counsel to the planning committee, too, he said.
Bite Me
Where: Various locations, Asheville.
When: Aug. 14-18.
Info: Tickets for Bite Me will go live on April 24 at bitemeavl.com. For more, follow on Instagram @bitemeavl.
