NORTHPORT, AL — The West Alabama Food & Wine Festival this week announced Schoolyard Roots and Table of Grace as the nonprofit beneficiaries of its 2027 event, which is set for Sunday, April 18, in Historic Downtown Northport.
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Tickets for the annual culinary celebration will go on sale Dec. 1, with proceeds supporting two organizations focused on addressing food insecurity and promoting access to fresh, nutritious food in West Alabama.
Organizers Schoolyard Roots will join the festival as a new beneficiary through a two-year partnership, while Table of Grace returns for its second consecutive year.
Schoolyard Roots, which has spent more than 16 years connecting children with fresh food and hands-on learning through school gardens, plans to use the festival's support to expand its after-school garden programming.
The initiative is expected to launch in fall 2027, prioritizing schools with the greatest needs before expanding to eight schools by spring 2028.
"We are so honored and so excited to be selected as a beneficiary of the festival," Schoolyard Roots Executive Director Nicole Gelb Dugat said. "The festival brings together the people who feed our region, and to have them believe in what happens in our school gardens is a real gift."
The expanded program will provide students with opportunities to plant, maintain, harvest, prepare and taste food grown in their school gardens, while encouraging healthy eating habits and a greater connection to nature.
"We've dreamed about this for a long time, and because of the festival, it will now be a reality," Dugat said.
Table of Grace said it will also continue receiving support for its efforts to combat food insecurity through its client-choice food pantry, which provides nutritious food to individuals and families throughout West Alabama.
Founded in 2012, the West Alabama Food & Wine Festival has supported numerous charitable organizations over the years, including the American Red Cross, West Alabama Food Bank, Turning Point and the Humane Society of West Alabama.
In 2026, the festival raised $76,000, distributing $38,000 each to Table of Grace and the Humane Society of West Alabama.
"What makes this festival so special is that our impact reaches far beyond food and wine," Executive Director of the West Alabama Food & Wine Festival Amy Martin said. "Over the years, we've supported organizations addressing everything from disaster relief and domestic violence to animal welfare and food insecurity."
Martin said the addition of Schoolyard Roots represents another opportunity to expand the festival's community impact.
"Now, with Schoolyard Roots, we're helping introduce the next generation to the importance of fresh food and where it comes from," Martin said. "We're incredibly proud of the difference our festival partners and attendees continue to make throughout West Alabama."
The 2027 festival will once again feature local restaurants, food trucks, beverage vendors and live entertainment, bringing culinary enthusiasts together for an afternoon in downtown Northport.
For Dugat, the partnership also provides an opportunity to connect the region's culinary community with the next generation.
"Every ticket, every sip, and every bite at the festival helps a local kid get their hands in the soil," Dugat said. "You're giving a child the chance to pull a carrot out of the ground for the first time, to taste a strawberry still warm from the sun, and to feel proud of something they grew with their own hands."
Tickets go on sale Tuesday, Dec. 1, with additional information available here.
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