CARVED 2014 = Big Success!

7th Street Public Market was packed Sunday evening, October 19 to watch 27 of the area’s best chefs, farmers, and culinary artisans took various sharp instruments to blank pumpkin canvases – and turn them into incredible works of art.

Gallery Photographs by Deborah Triplett – Deborah Triplett Photography

Voting was done by all the attendees, who also enjoyed crafted beer courtesy of Lenny Boy Brewery and Tank’s Tap, heirloom popcorn pulled from the cob, and pressed-on-premises apple cider.

Creativity was in the air .. and so was music, as Geoff White on his fiddle and Brad Todd with his banjo strolled through the crowd with their happy sounds.

In addition, Art Duckworth of Apple Orchard Farm had a fascinating beekeeping display, magician/balloon wrangler Scott Link did wonders with inflated latex,  and local artist Sarah Pollack will be doing caricatures.

But it was the pumpkins that were front and center. The voting choices were hard, but in the end it was Michael Rayfield of The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge who took the bragging rights, and a beautiful hand-carved leather knife roll his incredible ‘Tuna Roll’ Pumpkin tableau.

Congrats, Chef Michael. We look forward to seeing you defend your crown next year.

See more photos of the event at the Piedmont Culinary Guild Facebook Page.