Overview Heritage Fire is a touring live-fire cook-off: at each stop local chefs and pitmasters cook over open flame for an all-inclusive, walk-around feast, guests vote for the best bite of the day, and the winner is crowned that city's Heritage Hero. The 2026 tour covered 12-plus cities, from San Diego and Snowmass to Napa, Atlanta and Pebble Beach, added a London date, and was built to close with a Grand Finale in Greenville, South Carolina, where the 12 city winners cook off for Heritage Hero Grand Champion. It is produced by a21, the events company behind the Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival and Pebble Beach Food and Wine, which has worked out of Miami, New York and London since 2006. On site Every stop is outdoors and runs rain or shine; Asheville's 2026 stop was on the grounds of Pisgah Brewing Company in Black Mountain. Each chef cooks over fire and presents one dish to hundreds of guests, with wine and spirits pours and local vendors alongside. Early-entry guests get 45 minutes before general admission and, in 2026, a bourbon lounge of rare and vintage pours. Food and drink are included in the ticket. Some cities add a seated chefs' dinner; Asheville held its first in 2026 at Cúrate's La Bodega. Audience Every stop is 21 and over, with no children allowed. Guests are the judges: the Heritage Hero title goes to the chef with the most of their votes. Asheville's 2026 early-entry and general admission tickets both sold out. Talent and Influencers The talent is local. Asheville's 2026 lineup ran from Biltmore Estate's Geoffrey Howlett and Capella on 9's Rakim S. Gaines to Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse, Xico and Bargello, and Sujitra (May) Chubthaisong of Thai Pearl Restaurants took the Heritage Hero title. The 2025 winners included Rick Ohlemacher of Husk in Charleston, Gustavo Rios of Solbar in Napa Valley, Tommy Shin of Masu in the Willamette Valley and Kyle Bryner of Blue Hound BBQ in Atlanta. Brand presence Partners are built into the tasting itself. At the 2026 Asheville stop Napa Valley Vintners poured wines from up to 20 vintners, with an offer for guests to ship bottles home, and Justin's House of Bourbon ran the early-entry lounge. Visit Greenville was named presenting partner of the Grand Finale, and the visitors bureaus of San Francisco, Snowmass and Fort Lauderdale were destination partners on the 2026 tour. In 2025 a21 began working with Event Zero, a nonprofit that cuts waste and emissions at its events.