South Beach Wine & Food Festival Returns to Eat, Drink and Educate for 2018

13th Street & Ocean Drive
Miami Beach FL, 33139
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The 17th annual Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF®) returns to EAT. DRINK. EDUCATE. February 21st – 25th, 2018.

One of America’s most prestigious gourmet gatherings, the Festival has raised more than $26 million to date for the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University (FIU).

This year’s edition will feature more than 90 events, including signature fan-favorite soirées, an array of new parties and intimate dining experiences, expanded CRAVE Greater Fort Lauderdale Series, and much more.

“We are truly looking forward to an exciting 17th edition,” noted Festival founder and director Lee Brian Schrager, who serves as senior vice president, communications & corporate social responsibility for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. “With a variety of new experiences and refreshed fan-favorites, the 2018 Festival offers up a plethora of culinary, beverage and lifestyle events for passionate fans and hospitality industry professionals to EAT. DRINK. EDUCATE.”

The 17th annual Tribute Dinner presented by Bank of America part of The NYT Cooking Dinner Series gets a fresh new format this year, with a star-studded line-up of more than a dozen chefs cooking at this walk-around affair in honor of restaurateur, author and beloved Food Network personality Bobby Flay and Treasury Wine Estates managing director and chief executive officer Michael Clarke.

Top-rated radio host Elvis Duran will serve as the emcee during this not-to-be-missed evening taking place at Loews Miami Beach Hotel on Saturday, February 24th, 2018. Also new this year, the celebration will continue at Sweet Moves: Late-Night Desserts & Dancing hosted by Bobby & Sophie Flay with beats by lifestyle guru and popular DJ Hannah Bronfman.

Iconic Miami Beach events continue to evolve and tantalize the taste buds of passionate fans from around the world, kicking off with Italian Bites on the Beach sponsored by HCP Media and the Miami Herald Media Company hosted by Giada De Laurentiis.

The beloved Heineken Light Burger Bash presented by Schweid & Sons gets a new twist this year, with resident Food Network Rockstar Guy Fieri serving as its host.

Additionally, the music revolution that began last year at the Goya Foods’ Grand Tasting Village featuring Mastercard Grand Tasting Tents & KitchenAid® Culinary Demonstrations expands with the David Grutman Experience spanning both Saturday, February 24th and Sunday, February 25th.

The BACARDI Beach Party also returns with late-night beats and eats under the Festival’s sparkling white tents on the sand, and the new Beachside BBQ hosted by Michael Symon closes out the weekend on Miami Beach.

The third annual CRAVE Greater Fort Lauderdale Series returns with an all-star schedule of events in Broward County, including:

● Signature Wine Seminars presented by Bank of America, a BBQ Dinner hosted by Chris Lilly and Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach Chef Jorge Ramos and Clambake hosted by Emeril Lagasse and Jorge Ramos; all taking place at the brand-new Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach.

● The introduction of the Festival’s fan-favorite Lucky Chopsticks hosted by Andrew Zimmern and a Rooftop Rosé Happy Hour hosted by television star, jewelry and shoe designer, True Roots cookbook author and all-around lifestyle guru Kristin Cavallari - who is also a new part-time fixture on the South Florida scene thanks to the addition of husband Jay Cutler to the city’s beloved Miami Dolphins – at the W Fort Lauderdale.

●Plus, a selection of intimate dinner experiences with renowned chefs and a Grand Bloody Mary Brunch hosted by Geoffrey Zakarian to top-off the series.

A variety of late-night parties accent the line-up, including returning fan-favorites like Tacos After Dark hosted by Rick Bayless and King’s Hawaiian presents the Taste of Aloha and Art of Tiki Cocktail Showdown hosted by Anne Burrell, and new experiences like Midnight Munchies hosted by Jean-Georges Vongerichten on the Art Deco oasis Española Way featuring special guest DJ Action Bronson round out the midnight owl offerings.

EAT. DRINK. EDUCATE. The exclusive MasterCard pre-sale for the 2018 Festival has already started. You can go online at sobewff.org or by calling 877.762.3933 (phone sales open Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM EST). to get your tickets.

Between SOBEWFF® and its sister NYCWFF, which takes place each October in New York City, more than $36 million has been raised to benefit the respective charities for each Festival. 

Beyond the funds raised, both Festivals draw attention to the vibrant dining culture in their respective cities, provide economic stimulus in their communities, and serve as an invaluable platform to drive awareness, engaging and inspiring people to get involved in philanthropic activities.

All proceeds from the Festival benefit the students of the Florida International University Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management who also assist Festival organizers with sponsorship fulfillment, restaurant and exhibitor recruitment, logistics, and inventory as well as working alongside some of the world’s greatest celebrity chefs and winemakers.

To date, the Festival has raised more than $26 million for the School. In September 2017, BizBash named the Festival the #1 Food & Restaurant Industry event in the United States for the fifth year in a row.

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