Burlington Wine & Food Festival starts this week!

The Burlington Wine & Food Festival begins on Friday, June 16, with more than a week's worth of events sure to please every palate!

The events kick off this Friday at the ArtsRiot Truck Stop. We'll be on site with the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf's "Good Food Truck," raising money for their amazing programs in Chittenden County.

And the festivities continue all next week! You can dine with world-renowned winemakers at Hen of the Wood, The Farmhouse, E.B. Strong's, Guild Tavern, the Bearded Frog and Sotto Enoteca..."shake things up" with the "Great Shakes" cocktail competition at Waterworks...feast on all things local during the "Burlington Backyard Bash" at Hotel Vermont...enjoy in-store tastings at Dedalus and Sparkling in Middlebury ...and much more!

The festivities reach their peak on Saturday, June 24th, with the Grand Tasting in Waterfront Park. Sample 300 wines from around the world…savor foods from Vermont's top chefs and artisan food producers…attend seminars by legends of the wine world…bid on fantastic items at a silent auction to benefit the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf...all while you enjoy live jazz on the shores of Lake Champlain.

Tickets are sixty dollars in advance ($70 if available at the gate), with two sessions (noon to 3:30 and 5:00 to 8:30) happening -- rain or shine! ----- under huge tents in Waterfront Park.

For more info, visit www.burlingtonwineandfoodfestival.com.