Friday Fired Up

Friday, March 27 | 7:30–9:30 PM

Early Bird: $55, Winter (Jan/Feb): $75, March/Gate: $85

Friday Fired Up is an all-inclusive evening celebrating everything grilled, smoked, and barbecued. Guests will enjoy a wide variety of Southern-style cuisine including beef, pork, chicken, seafood, and vegetarian dishes, prepared by some of Georgia’s and the South’s most renowned pitmasters and chefs. Admission includes live music and unlimited wine, beer, and spirits tastings served in a souvenir glass.

Three smiling people behind a Jim Beam branded bar at an outdoor event. The bar has a sign reading "Come as friends, leave as family". Bottles of Jim Beam whiskey and cocktail menus are on the counter, with warm hanging lights overhead and wooden barrels in the background.

Sausages, onions, and fish grilling over an open flame on a barbecue grill with smoke in the background

A large piece of grilled meat, likely a steak or brisket, on a barbecue grill with smoke rising from it.

What’s Included?

Friday Fired Up admission includes:

Early Bird: $55, Winter (Jan/Feb): $75, March/Gate: $85

All food and drink tastings with your souvenir glass — from barbecue plates to spirits and beer tastings

Live music throughout the evening

Explore the artisan market and Georgia Grown Member Village with vendors, floral activations, and more

Experiences & Highlights

Two young women holding drinks and smiling at an outdoor event or festival, with people and a bar in the background.

Friday Fired Up features engaging activations throughout the evening, including Emma’s Flower Truck where guests can build their own bouquets, the Cubano Cigar Lounge, and the “Meat & Greet” bourbon and grilling pairing experience. Guests can also watch whole hog pit-barbecue by Rodney Scott’s BBQ and mingle with chefs.

Meat & Greet

Chef Nick Leahy - Owner, Vice Kitchen

A male chef wearing a white chef's coat and a black hat with yellow text, standing with arms crossed in a kitchen or restaurant setting.

In 2018, Chef Leahy opened the Provencal-style restaurant, AIX, and adjoining wine bar, Tin Tin, in Atlanta’s hot West Midtown neighborhood. Both AIX and Tin Tin brought the flavors of his beloved French countryside to Atlanta’s Westside, offering twists on classic Provençal dishes with a Mediterranean flair. At Nick’s Westside, Chef Leahy has created a more approachable, broad-appealed menu that highlights Georgia’s small producers and features fresh, sustainably sourced ingredients. In December 2020, to meet the demand for local meal deliveries and capitalize on the growing trend of ghost kitchens, Chef Leahy launched Chicken Out. This chef-inspired, delivery only chicken concept operates out of Nick’s Westside kitchen and utilizes a Big Green Egg outside of the restaurant to smoke wings.

Whole Hog Pickin’

By Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ

A person wearing glasses and a black T-shirt with a red apron, standing behind a large outdoor grill with cooked meat and rice, at night under a canopy. There are trees and a fence in the background.

Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ is not smoked in a smoker–the whole pig is prepped, seasoned and laid intact on a pit that is fired with active, burning coals. Direct heat by way of the glowing embers shoveled under the animal and expertly placed in the various regions ensures even cooking. The coals and hog are attended to for many hours before the animal is flipped near the end of the cook time so that Rodney’s signature “mop sauce” can be mopped onto the meat and the skin is allowed to crisp. This is the ultimate Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ experience. It’s a difference you can taste!

Returning in 2026

A woman standing next to a vintage turquoise truck with a large white and blue striped umbrella. The truck is set up as a mobile stand with flowers and a chalkboard sign in front.

Emma’s Flower Truck

The little ‘66 Chevy flower truck of Marietta GA supplies a bed full of beautiful fresh cut flowers! You can build your own bouquets, purchase pre-made bouquets (fresh or dried), or even choose 1-2 of your favorite flowers to wrap and take home.

Cubano Cigar Lounge

Grab a beverage and relax in our outdoor cigar lounge with an exceptional selection of vintage Cuban and New World cigars. Each Cubano Cigar has its own unique blend aroma that will carry you subliminally back into Cuban Cigar history on the island of Key West.

Enhance your afternoon with the Saturday Savor VIP Lounge, featuring early festival access, a crystal souvenir tasting glass, a fully catered private lounge with designated restrooms, live music, open bars serving cocktails, beer, and wine, and full access to the general admission festival area.

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Join us for an unforgettable afternoon celebrating Georgia’s food, drink, and culinary talent.

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