MidAtlantic Wine + Food Festival canceled

The MidAtlantic Wine and Food Festival has reportedly canceled the event indefinitely as it scrambles to address outstanding debt and waning participation.

According to several news outlets,including Delaware Business Daily, festival board members released a statement Monday and conceded that organizers do not have the funds to pay service providers from this year’s May event.  The festival’s website is no longer operational and calls to the organization’s headquarters were not returned.

The MidAtlantic Wine + Food Festival was founded by local entrepreneur Ajit George in 2013 as a showcase for  event for food and wine throughout the Delaware, Brandywine Valley and the MidAtlantic region. It was the beneficiary of a two-year grant from the Longwood Foundation, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit several Delaware nonprofits.

The 2014 festival included 42 chefs and 4,300 ticket holders, according to information provided on the site’s LinkedIn account, but was downsized this year.

According to the account, “Our purpose is to be the premier food and wine event of the MidAtlantic featuring international vintners and chefs in collaboration with our local talent, to bring tourism to Delaware, and to increase awareness of our cultural assets.”

Organizers of the event did not return phone calls.