Fall around Lake Norman has a pretty full calendar. Football on Friday nights, festivals on the weekends, and boats slowly heading back to the lift for the season. This October, one more event is back on that list, and it’s been gone long enough that some of us were starting to wonder.
After a three-year break, Taste of Birkdale returns to Birkdale Village in Huntersville on Saturday, October 24. It’s an all-inclusive afternoon of food, drinks, and live music, with ten Birkdale Village restaurants serving exclusive dishes in one walkable spot.
The best part? Every dollar from ticket sales goes to Community Culinary School of Charlotte (CCSC), a nonprofit that has spent almost 30 years training adults for careers in food service, many of whom face real barriers to steady work. So yes, you get to eat your way around Birkdale and feel good about it. That’s a pretty rare combination.
Whether you’ve been coming to Birkdale since it opened in 2003, or you just moved up from Charlotte and are still learning which exit to take, here’s what to know about the event, the cause, and everything else happening at The Village this month.
What to Expect at Taste of Birkdale
Think of it as a tasting tour of Birkdale Village where nobody has to agree on a restaurant.
Ten Birkdale Village restaurants will serve exclusive dishes and paired bites. The lineup is Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, bartaco, Bonefish Grill, Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop, eeZ, Fin & Fino, Kilwins, North Italia, Red Rocks, and Suffolk Punch. That covers burgers, tacos, seafood, Italian, and a dessert course from Buttermilk Sky and Kilwins. (Pace yourself. The pie is coming.)
Your ticket also includes an open bar with curated cocktails, beer, and wine. In other words, you won’t be digging for your wallet every few minutes.
Local media personality Jacinda Jacobs will emcee. Split Second Sound DJ & Entertainment and Colby Dobbs will play live music throughout the afternoon.
What I like most about this format is that it shows off what Birkdale does well: a lot of good places in one walkable spot. Out-of-town visitors get an easy introduction to the area. Locals who keep going back to the same two restaurants (no judgment) get a nudge to try something new.
The details:
When: Saturday, October 24 (1-4pm)
Where: Birkdale Village, Huntersville
Tickets: $75 per person, all-inclusive, available through Freshtix
Age: 21 and over
Where the Money Goes: Community Culinary School of Charlotte
CCSC opened in 1997 in one room of an unfinished warehouse with two students. It’s come a long way since then.
The school recently welcomed its 84th class, has graduated more than 1,200 students, and will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year. It offers a tuition-free, 14-week culinary training program three times a year. Graduates are ready for both front-of-house and back-of-house jobs in an industry that is always looking for reliable, skilled people. (If you’ve noticed a “now hiring” sign at a restaurant around the lake lately, you know the need is real.)
The students come from many backgrounds. They include veterans, single parents and caregivers, people leaving incarceration or taking part in recidivism programs, and others who want more economic stability. The program teaches cooking, and it also gives these students the support to build a career.
Keeping the program free takes real money. It costs about $10,355 to put one student through. That covers chef instructors and life coaches; uniforms, aprons, and shoes; transportation passes; classroom materials and job-readiness training; ServSafe® certification; graduation costs; and food.
“It’s an honor and privilege to be the recipient of ticket proceeds for Taste of Birkdale,” said Chef Ron Ahlert, CCSC Executive Director. “This type of support affords us the opportunity to continue providing tuition-free training to future culinarians and have them touch the success they envision for themselves.”
Insider tip: Make sure you stop by the CCSC student table. Students will prepare and serve a dish of their own, so you can taste what the program teaches. It may be the most meaningful bite of the afternoon.
Birkdale Village Restaurant Week (October 17–23)
If one afternoon of tasting isn’t enough, here’s some good news: Taste of Birkdale is the finale of a full week of food.
Birkdale Village Restaurant Week runs October 17 through 23. Participating restaurants will offer limited-time dishes, pairings, and drinks, which makes it a good excuse to finally try the place you keep walking past on the way to the movies.
There’s also a reason to go out more than once that week. Scan the QR code at any participating restaurant for a chance to win prizes. Those include tickets to Taste of Birkdale, Birkdale Village gift cards, and swag. So your Tuesday night dinner could turn into a free ticket to the main event. That’s a solid return on a plate of tacos.
Restaurant Week is also well timed for the Lake Norman crowd. Boating season is winding down, the weather is finally pleasant enough to sit outside, and the summer visitors have mostly gone home. It’s a good week to rediscover the restaurants close to home.
More October Events at Birkdale Village
Birkdale Village keeps busy all month. Here’s what else is on the October calendar:
Lights, Camera, Birkdale brings outdoor movie nights, with The Haunted Mansion on Friday, October 2, and Nightmare Before Christmas on Friday, October 30. One is a fun watch for kids, and the other might become your new Halloween tradition.
Birkdale Social Hours are back on Friday, October 9, and Friday, October 23. They’re an easy way to start the weekend without driving into Charlotte.
On Sunday, October 11, the Birkdale Village Commons Market sets up. On Sunday, October 25, the Birkdale Village Farmers Market is the perfect place to recover from the day before.
And on Saturday, October 31, The Village hosts Trick-or-Treating. Bring the kids, a costume, and maybe a bigger candy bag than you think you need.
For updates, visit birkdalevillage.com and follow Birkdale Village on Instagram and Facebook.
Come Hungry and Make It Count
The Lake Norman area keeps growing. New restaurants, new neighbors, and new developments show up almost every month. That’s why events like Taste of Birkdale matter. They bring everyone to the same place, whether you’ve lived here for decades or just unpacked your last box.
Bring your appetite and your friends on October 24. If you can, try one new spot during Restaurant Week. And while you’re out, say hello to the CCSC students. Some of them may be cooking in the kitchens around our lake soon. We’re lucky to have a community that shows up for each other like this. See you there.
Jeff Hamm is the visionary behind The Best of LKN – a media platform that has been spotlighting and promoting the most adored local small businesses and nonprofits in the Lake Norman area since 2020.
Jeff’s also an expert real estate broker who brings deep expertise in premium neighborhoods and strong ties to the region’s top builders, designers, and service providers.
Learn more:
www.LKNreal.com
www.BannerElkLiving.com
Jeff Hamm is a North Carolina real estate broker with Ivester Jackson | Christie’s International Real Estate, serving Lake Norman, North Carolina. He specializes in luxury and waterfront property, golf and lakefront communities, condominiums, active adult and family-friendly neighborhoods, and short-term rental and investment purchases – with a particular focus on buyer representation, where his relationships with the region’s top listing brokers, builders, and designers give his clients a measurable edge.
Jeff is also the founder and host of The Best of LKN, a podcast, newsletter, and media platform that has spotlighted the Lake Norman area’s most admired small businesses, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs since 2020. He publishes the annual Lake Norman Visitors Guide, regular market reports, and hosts The Best of Lake Norman Business Network.