A weekend festival featuring culinary collaborations between chefs from the Yampa Valley and visiting chefs from across the country paired with savory wines to please the palate of spectacular gastronomic weekend in the Rocky Mountains.
Frequently Asked Questions
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Where can I pick-up my VIP Experience wristband?
You will be able to pick-up your VIP wristband at the following locations:
- Thursday Night Movie (Chief Theatre)
- Your Friday Night Dinner Location
- Box Office in Gondola Square on Friday from 10am-6pm in front of the Billy Kidd statue
- Box Office in Gondola Square on Saturday 10am-6pm in front of Gondola Joes
If you plan to attend Seminars and Demos on Friday morning, please visit the box office before arriving to the location of your seminar or demo tent.
Where can I pick-up my Weekender Pass wristband?
You will be able to pick-up your Weekender Pass wristband at the following locations:
- Box Office in Gondola Square on Friday from 10am-6pm in front of the Billy Kidd statue
- Box Office in Gondola Square on Saturday 10am-6pm in front of Gondola Joes
If you plan to attend Seminars and Demos on Friday morning, please visit the box office before arriving to the location of your seminar or demo tent.
Where can I pick-up my VIP Grand Tasting wristband?
You will be able to pick-up your VIP Grand Tasting wristband at the following locations:
- Box Office in Gondola Square on Friday from 10am-6pm in front of the Billy Kidd statue
- Box Office in Gondola Square on Saturday 10am-6pm in front of Gondola Joes
Where can I pick-up my wine glass for The Grand Tasting?
All VIPS, Weekenders, and Grand Tasting Patrons will need to pick-up their wine glass from the box office upon arrival to The Grand Tasting.
What are the details for the Thursday Night Movie at The Chief?
Tickets are still available! If you purchased a ticket to the movie, go directly to The Chief Theater (813 Lincoln) and we will check you in!
Doors open at 6 pm with passed canapés from Black Cat Bistro’s Chef and organic farm owner Erik Skokan, followed by wine tastings and the movie, finishing with a dynamic and engaging Q&A at 7 pm.
What are the details for the Friday Night Dinner Series?
Friday night dinners are at the following locations:
There will be shuttle pick-ups for each dinner downtown and at the mountain. If you’re staying in the Mountain Village, shuttles will pick up at the Steamboat Grand at 5:30 pm. If you’re staying downtown, shuttles will pick you up at the Wells Fargo building between 3rd and 4th on Lincoln at 5:30 pm. Please check signage and confirm the correct shuttle.
Shuttles will pick you up following the dinner and return you to the same locations.
What about Seminars?
If you purchased tickets to one of our seminars, view the seminar list and head to that seminar location. Your name will be on the list!
If you purchased tickets to one of our seminars or have the VIP Experience or Weekender Pass package, head directly to the seminar. **Please note seminars at the Truffle Pig require advance sign up**
If you don’t remember which seminars you signed up for, you can find out when you pick up your wristband.
You will be able to pick-up your wristband at the following locations:
- Box Office in Gondola Square on Friday from 10am-6pm in front of the Billy Kidd statue
- Box Office in Gondola Square on Saturday 10am-6pm in front of Gondola Joes
What about Demos?
Sessions in the Demonstration Tent are included with the VIP Experience, Weekender Pass and Grand Tasting packages. For these tickets, there’s no sign up required, simply show up with your wristband before the scheduled time and grab a seat!
The Demo Tent is located in Gondola Square at 2200 Village Inn Circle.
Where can I pick up my Sunday Bacon and Bubbles Brunch wristband?
If you have a VIP Experience or Weekender Pass, your wristband is valid as your entry ticket.
If you have purchased a Brunch-only ticket, please check in at the entrance at 7th and Yampa for your wristband.
There will be shuttles from Mountain Village leaving the Steamboat Grand at 10:45 am to take participants to brunch on Yampa Street and shuttles returning to the mountain at 1:15 pm.
MORE QUESTIONS...
Who does the festival support?
The Steamboat Food & Wine Festival supports a number of organizations:
MainStreet Steamboat Springs. MainStreet was founded in 2004 to preserve, promote, and enhance Downtown Steamboat Springs.
Mountain Village Partnership is a member business comprised to support vitality at the base area of Steamboat Resort.
The Colorado Mountain College Foundation’s Culinary Program. Each summer the culinary program sends students to Italy for an immersive culinary experience and we’re excited to support the next generation of chefs by supporting their endowment.
Do I have to pay for food and drinks at the festival?
No! All food and drink is covered by your ticket.
Are children allowed at the festival?
The event is for those 21 and older. However, the Grand Tasting has an open perimeter and children may access The Land Up Activities. There is Steamboat’s own Kids Garden for you to enjoy your time while your children enjoy theirs! These experienced childcare providers are perfect for children ages 12 months to 12 years.
Is there transportation?
Yes, the festival will be offering shuttles to and from the various events. Refer to your specific event(s) for shuttle details.
How will I get updates as new things are added to the schedule?
Sign up for our newsletter below or follow us on instagram!
Do you offer refunds?
While we can’t offer refunds, we understand that circumstances are sometimes out of our control and we’ll do our best to come up with a solution.
MEET OUR TEAM
Founder
Nicole Jarman
Nicole has 15 years of experience producing live events and experiences built on the platform of creating community. Curation, collaboration, community building and placemaking are the intentions encompassing Nicole’s work.
Nicole has produced over 1,200 events throughout Colorado, raising close to $5M for non-profit organizations. Nicole’s professional relationship with Steamboat started in 2012 during the 5 year run of the USA Pro Challenge the 7 day, professional, stage racing cycling event encompassed Colorado.
With a strong emphasis on making vision a reality and focusing on true, authentic experiences, Nicole is really excited to bring her passion to this new venture.
Culinary Director
Chef Patrick Ayres
Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Chef Patrick Ayres moved to Steamboat Springs in 2001 to begin high school. In 2003, his restaurant career began as a busser in the same building that now houses Aurum Food and Wine. After high school, Chef Ayres returned to Louisiana to attend Louisiana Culinary Institute. Upon graduation he made his way to Seattle, WA where after climbing the ladder, he served as Executive Sous Chef at the James Beard Award-winning Canlis Restaurant from 2010 until 2013. Chef Patrick and his wife, Kaylee, had their first daughter while in Seattle and quickly thereafter decided it was time to head back to Colorado. The first stepping-stone back to Steamboat was a position as Executive Chef at the beautiful High Lonesome Ranch for two years. That experience set Chef Ayres up to move back home and open Cloverdale Farm and Restaurant where they achieved numerous accolades and national press but unfortunately had to close at the end of 2018.
Chef Ayres is Culinary Director for the Steamboat Food & Wine Festival, working closely with each chef on menu choices and collaborations to create a truly memorable experience. He is also a member of the team at Destination Hospitality Group and assisting in developing each of their restaurants with his knowledge and experiences in the culinary world. Not many Chefs get to bring their career back full-circle to the same building where it all began.
Jeff Black
Jeff Black’s life and career have been driven by two passions—outdoor sports and good food. Growing up in Southern California, he spent his summers lifeguarding and teaching swim lessons at the beach and his winters skiing in the mountains.
After graduating from Northern Arizona University in 1982, he headed back to Los Angeles and began his event-planning career with the 1984 Los Angles Olympic Games. Jeff continued his involvement with the Summer Games and worked on four Olympic Torch Relays—Los Angeles, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, and Athens, Greece.
After the 2004 Olympic Games, Jeff left the sporting world to focus his other love, food and wine. For the past six years, he has led the charge for the Celebrity Chef Tour Benefiting the James Beard Foundation. This tour brings great chefs to cities around the country for an unforgettable night of food and drink. Under Jeff’s leadership, these tour dinners have raised over $850,000 to fund scholarships in culinary arts through the James Beard Foundation.
Jeff travels extensively and usually spends more time on the road than at home. In fact, North Dakota is the only state in the US that he has not visited. He is currently looking into a Celebrity Chef Tour dinner in Fargo.
Jeff resides in Steamboat Springs, Colorado where he enjoys year-round outdoor adventure…and of course, good food and drink.
Culinary Director
Hunter Charmness
Hunter Charmness was born and raised in St. Louis, MO. After years of visiting Steamboat Springs during school breaks, he moved to Steamboat to pursue his love of everything outdoors. He took a job at Home Ranch working his way from washing dishes up to prep cook. He fell in love with cooking under the direction of Chef Clyde Nelson. His next adventure took him to Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in London and interned at the Goring Hotel under Chef Derek Quelch.
Upon returning to the US, he took a position with the staff at Luca D’Italia in Denver under the direction of restauranteur Frank Bonnano. After several years at Luca, Hunter took a roll as sous chef opening Bones next door. A life curveball took Hunter to the Pacific Northwest where he worked at James Beard award winning restaurant Crush in Seattle.
Settling back in Colorado with his wife and children, Hunter opened Boxcar Restaurant a gastropub in Avon. After several successful years, Hunter closed the restaurant which opened up more time for life as a food rep with Shamrock foods and life as a husband and father. In his free time, Hunter enjoys fly fishing, skiing, mountain biking and seeking adventure. Hunter is very excited to be joining this stellar team putting together an event like the Steamboat Food & Wine Festival.
