Dishing on Greenville’s premier food, wine, and music festival as euphoria celebrates its 20th anniversary
Two guys walk into a bar . . . No, seriously. In 2005, restaurateur Carl Sobocinski and singer/songwriter Edwin McCain sat down together at Soby’s. Over a glass of wine, the two friends began kicking around the idea of creating a festival in Greenville to raise money for local charities.
The following year, the duo introduced Greenville to its first bite of euphoria, in the form of a food, wine, and music festival then called Southern Exposure.
“When we started this event, we knew Greenville was special,” Sobocinski recalls. “Main Street looked a lot different than it does now—and I’m not sure any of us would have guessed what the next 20 years would bring. But we believed we could put on a festival that rivaled those in other major cities.”
And they did. From that first modest two-day event, euphoria has mushroomed into a four-day festival that has attracted Michelin-starred chefs including Thomas Keller, Guy Savoy, and Daniel Boulud, as well as big-name entertainers like the Zack Brown Band, Wynton Marsalis, and Greenville’s own Edwin McCain.
The theme for euphoria’s 20th anniversary is nostalgia, according to Morgan Allen, the festival’s executive director since 2018. Among the 200 chefs, beverage professionals, and musicians participating in 80 events this year, attendees will see some “ghosts of the past,” chefs from long-shuttered local restaurants (think: Stephen Greene of Devereaux’s and Joe Clarke of American Grocery). And four Michelin dinners this year will include the festival’s first-ever vegetable-forward feast featuring Chef Rob Rubba of Washington, DC’s one-star Oyster Oyster.
Looking Ahead
Planning and executing a festival with so many moving parts is a herculean task. “You have to be extremely detail-oriented and able to adapt to different circumstances at any given moment,” says Allen, who works with a small but mighty three-person team. “I don’t think people realize the amount of work and dedication that goes into planning a festival like this. Every year you get a new curveball—there’s never a dull moment.”
It’s not just about the food, wine, and music. Over two decades, euphoria’s grant program has awarded money directly to 45 local nonprofits for projects that help children, provide education through the arts, and work to eliminate hunger. Last year alone, euphoria gave out almost $130,000 through its nonprofit foundation, Local Boys Do Good.
Allen sees that mission of giving back continuing, alongside efforts to shine a light on Greenville’s culinary community and support local businesses by holding events throughout the year. “Growth for the festival doesn’t necessarily mean number of people,” she explains. “The intimacy we bring to our festival is so important. Our growth will be in the impact we make on the community year-round.”
“Over the decades, euphoria became so much more than a festival,” Sobocinski says. “This event has had a real impact on our community and helped to put Greenville on the map.”
“It’s amazing how many people love to come back to euphoria,” adds Allen, “and it just shows that we’re doing something special in the festival world.”
euphoria Through the Years
2006: Carl Sobocinski and Edwin McCain’s first food, wine, and music festival—then called Southern Exposure—is held on Main Street in downtown Greenville.
2007: Michelin North America begins working with the festival to bring in renowned Michelin-starred chefs, starting this year with Thomas Keller.
2008: The festival’s name is changed to euphoria.
2015: euphoria hosts the first Healthy Lunchtime Throwdown, a competition between Greenville County students who prepare their own recipes with help from Michelin-starred chefs.
2016: euphoria moves its core events from Main Street to the West End to accommodate more participants and guests.
2018: The festival brings in five Michelin-starred chefs for its first year of hosting three Michelin dinners.
2020: The festival is forced to cancel some of the larger events and pivot to virtual events, owing to the COVID pandemic.
2021: euphoria releases a cookbook, A Taste of euphoria, featuring recipes from chefs who have participated over the years.
2024: The festival awards a total of just under $130,000 in grants to eight area organizations, its largest amount to date.
2025: euphoria celebrates its 20th anniversary.
You can go: Sept. 8–21, tickets on sale now at euphoriagreenville.com
