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NATCHEZ – The Natchez Food and Wine Festival is bringing gourmet cuisine to the celebration of the Natchez Balloon Festival this year.

A limited-seating, four-course pop-up brunch is being offered for Saturday, Oct. 18, as part of the weekend events.

Lyn Fortenberry Jenkins, director of the Chamber of Commerce and organizer of the Natchez Food and Wine Festival, said the brunch stemmed from the urging of Downtown merchants, who enjoyed a similar event with the festival. The brunch will feature celebrity chefs, each presenting a course at four different downtown locations.

The event begins with Amuse Bouche at Nest. Chef David Leathers of Nashville, Tennessee, will offer deviled eggs with hickory smoked Mississippi catfish; Tennessee paddlefish caviar, pickled micro collards and a brown butter cornmeal crumb. The amuse-bouche will be paired with a fresh Louisiana Satsuma Champagne cocktail.

Salad at Mother’s will highlight Natchez’s own Chef Liza Sharp, who will offer a salad of Ruby Port Poached Pear, arugula, roasted walnuts and goat cheese, with pomegranate arils tossed in a Mani orange and cinnamon pear vinaigrette. A brunch craft cocktail will be offered.

The Entree at Natchez Olive Market (NOM) showcases the work of Chef Joey Thompson of Corinth. Offerings include a garlic butter flatbread with quail egg, smoked pulled brisket, plum tomato, olive wood smoked olive oil, arugula, fresh herbs and parmigiana reggiano or a Sicilian sunrise wood-fired pizza with buffalo mozzarella, Calabrian chili oil, crispy prosciutto, charred leeks, beaten egg, Di Bruno Bros roasted red peppers and pesto. A Bloody Mary bar will complete the course.

Dessert will take place at Moreton’s, where Natchez’s Chef Lexi Lehrman will offer Lemon Tart with a Butter Curd Cookie Crust and Lemon Curd. Pairings include a Limoncello Spritz and a Coffee Bar with assorted liqueurs.

Seating groups will begin at 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m., all at Nest.

Tickets for the event are $65 each and can be purchased by clicking here.