A little more than an hour outside of Washington, DC, an annual summer gathering of who’s who in the food and beverage industry takes place at the Forbes Five-Star Salamander Resort in Middleburg, Virginia. Presented by James Beard Award-winning chef Kwame Onwuachi in collaboration with Sheila Johnson’s Salamander Collection and Food & Wine, The Family Reunion spotlights diversity in the culinary industry and celebrates Black cooking, foodways and contributions to the industry.
Onwuachi launched The Family Reunion in 2021 after noticing a need for more diversity at other food festivals, where participants convened primarily to eat and drink. “Most of the other food festivals I’ve attended felt very dull and disengaging,” he says via interview. Recognizing the vast contributions that Black people have made to global cuisine, Onwuachi says, “I wanted to showcase African diasporic cuisine in a way that had never been done at a food festival.”
The fourth annual Family Reunion took place from August 15 to August 18, with approximately 1,000 attendees and 40 chefs. The festivities commenced with a traditional evening cookout led by some of the finest pitmasters in the industry, including Bryan Furman and Rodney Scott.
Lunches featured gourmet family-style meals with a fusion of flavorful dishes like Haitian potato salad with smoked beets, peas and remoulade from Chef Gregory Gourdet and shawarma roasted chicken with turmeric lamb rice from Onwuachi’s award-winning New York restaurant Tatiana. Adding to the excitement, one of this year’s lunches offered a preview of menu items, such as curried branzino, mushroom etouffée and barbecue greens, from Dōgon, Onwuachi’s highly anticipated restaurant opening at Salamander DC on September 9. Each night offered an array of food stations helmed by acclaimed Black chefs such as Mashama Bailey, Nyesha Arrington and Vallery Lomas.
While the cornerstone of The Family Reunion is its tantalizing meals, the four-day festival is not just about the food and drink. It’s an ode to the cherished African-American tradition of reinforcing connections and community through family gatherings. Renowned chef, television personality and published author Carla Hall has been a loyal attendee of The Family Reunion since its inception. She says via interview, “It’s unlike any other food and wine event out there, and it allows us to share our culture with others without going through another lens.” This year, Hall was a featured expert in the entrepreneur-focused panel discussion “Make It Make Cents.” She also served as a judge for the “Chopped” cooking competition, where participants took on the role of aspiring chefs.
During the festival, attendees can engage in various experiences, from recreational activities such as zip-lining and field games to a competitive spades tournament. Thought-provoking panel discussions and breakout sessions on entrepreneurship and cultural and historical topics cover a variety of topics, from women’s empowerment to the history of rice in America. In the panel discussion “Own Your Legacy: The Cost of Value and Identity,” Alexander Smalls, legendary chef and culinary activist, poignantly described the impact of Black people on American cuisine, stating, “Even when we didn’t own ourselves, we owned that recipe.”
Each day culminates in a lively night party with DJ-spun music and special guest performances. This year’s lineup featured the talents of Tweet, DJ Nice and the R&B group 112. The Family Reunion concludes on an inspiring note with a Sunday Service, this year highlighted by a moving performance from the Bowie State University Choir.
Onwuachi recently formed a philanthropic partnership with his alma mater, the Culinary Institute of America. Through this initiative, two percent of ticket sales and 50 percent of funds raised from the silent auction from this year’s event will be donated to the Kwame Onwuachi ’13 Scholarship Fund, which supports underprivileged students by offering them financial aid and mentorship opportunities. Onwuachi believes that service is the best gift you can give to others. Throughout the four-day festival, he underscored the importance of community with his heartfelt mantra, “Come as friends, leave as family.”
To learn more about the event and view a full schedule of activities, visit The Family Reunion website.
