Updates from the 2011 Wine + Food Festival (economic impact revealed)

Image by Flickr user armisteadbooker

Update April 13: The numbers are in and according to the Office of Tourism Analysis in the College of Charleston's Business School, the 2011 BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival made a $7.3 million impact on the local economy.

The Post and Courier has the brief.

First reporting: The 2011 Wine + Food Festival is well under way, and here's one spot where you can get connected to the latest.

More reports from Friday, March 4: The Charleston City Paper has posted three more photo-oriented reports from the first day:

Reports from Friday, March 4: The Post and Courier was there for Friday's fun in Marion Square and has details from the Quickfire Challenge where Mayor Joe Riley made a bid in the cooking contests. And  scroll all the way down to the end for a few tidbits on the first day of Top Chef casting call turnouts.

Read the paper's report here, and the Charleston City Paper has a nice photo-oriented report.

We'll be sure to connect you with more coverage as we spot it and get more background at the festival's website and our topic page. Snag the full schedule here.