Lyndsay Fogarty
What started as a one-day festival called the Florida Extravaganza in 1997 has grown into a five-day, star-studded celebration of food and fun in South Florida.
Now in its 16th year, The Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival will be taking over Miami-Dade and Broward counties from Feb. 22-26 with celebrity chefs like Richard Blais, Anthony Bourdain, Bobby Flay, Trisha Yearwood and many more joining in on the festivities. In celebration of its sweet 16, the festival lineup includes more than 90 events taking place day and night.
“We’ve curated a robust program of events for the festival’s 16th year,” Festival Founder and Director Lee Brian Shrager says. “With an array of dinners, tastings, seminars and parties showcasing a variety of cuisines, wines and spirits from around the world, guests will find plenty of ways to satiate their taste buds at this year’s festival.”
During the weekend, the festival’s recognizable white tents will be set up in the sand between 10th and 13th Streets and Ocean Drive for the Goya Foods Grand Tasting Village featuring Grand Tasting Tents & KitchenAid Culinary Demonstrations. In addition, a selection of special events will be held throughout all five days of the festival including Barilla’s Italian Bites on the Beach hosted by Valerie Bertinelli and Alex Gharnaschelli, Heineken Light Burger Bash hosted by Rachael Ray, and Decadent Dessert Party hosted by Duff Goldman.
In 2016, the festival expanded into Broward County with the launch of the Taste of Fort Lauderdale Series. Back again this year, the series includes a selection of intimate dinner experiences with celebrity chefs as well as special events like Seaside Eats hosted by Anne Burrell at the Bonnet House Museum & Gardens, DRINK Fort Lauderdale at FATVillage and Bloody Mary Brunch hosted by David Burtka & Neil Patrick Harris.
If you’re looking for even more fun for under $100, the festival has you covered there, too. Some of the highlights include:
-Craft-y Hour
-The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown hosted by Robert Irvine
-Nutrish’s Yappie Hour hosted by Rachael Ray
-Food Fight hosted by Guy Fieri
-Badia Spices’ Fun and Fit as a Family featuring Goya Foods Kidz Kitchen
All proceeds will benefit the students of Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University. To date, SOBEWFF has raised more than $24 million for the school. Tickets are available online at WOBEWFF.org or by calling 877.762.3933 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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