The inaugural Savor the Central Coast promises to bring more than 8,000 food fanatics to San Luis Obispo County, filling up hotel rooms, putting the area on the map as a major culinary destination and extending the county’s tourist season.

The four-day food and wine festival is hosted by Sunset Magazine and the San Luis Obispo County Visitors & Conference Bureau. It kicked off Sept. 30, with the main event scheduled for Oct. 2 and 3 at Santa Margarita Ranch. Satellite events including cooking seminars, organic farm tours and wine tastings, many of them paired with lunches with Sunset editors, are being held at locations throughout San Luis Obispo County.

Savor takes a broad view of the Central Coast — the focus is on San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara counties, but the event includes growers, chefs and winemakers from as far north as the Monterey area and as far south as Ventura and Oxnard.

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