The 23rd Annual SOBEWFF® Will Bring a Culinary Extravaganza of New Experiences, Celebrity Talent and Chart-Topping Beats to the Magic City
A star-studded weekend awaits as the 23rd annual Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One (SOBEWFF®) makes its return to Miami Beach to EAT. DRINK. EDUCATE. from February 22-25, 2024. The four-day Festival, which has become a haven for culinary enthusiasts and celebrity admirers alike, will be bigger than ever, featuring never before seen events, robust musical programming, and a lineup of A-list celebrity talent alongside returning signature events, intimate sit-down experiences, interactive master classes and more.
"I like to think of the Festival as a perpetual journey of excitement and reinvention. We're not just curating events; we're crafting experiences based on what our audience craves," states Lee Schrager, SOBEWFF® Founder and Director. "The key is being receptive to feedback, seeking out rising talent, and using current events as a compass to help navigate the Festival year after year. It's a culinary dialogue, a continuous effort. It's also imperative we never forget why we embarked on this flavorful adventure ? to passionately support and give back to FIU, ensuring a legacy that goes beyond taste, leaving an indelible mark on education and culinary excellence."
The Festival festivities will kick off on Thursday, February 22 with the 17th annual Burger Bash presented by Schweid & Sons® hosted by Rachael Ray. More than 30 of the country's most beloved restaurants and chefs will go head-to-head in creating the juiciest and most flavorful burgers the Festival's ever seen. The fan-favorite event will host a celebrity panel of judges including American rapper, producer, DJ, and television personality Rev Run, American model and actress Kate Upton, three-time Emmy award-winning journalist and NBC 6 news anchor Trina Robinson, national radio host and President and Chief Creative Officer of iHeart Latino Enrique Santos, and Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton from the American sitcom television series "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," who will crown one very talented chef with the coveted Schweid & Sons® The Very Best Burger Award. Guests will also have the chance to crown their favorite burger and vote for the People's Choice Award. The highly anticipated Celebrity Chef Pickleball Tournament presented by Whispering Angel hosted by Tara Bernstein and Hunter Fieri will return to the Miami Beach Golf Club with Food Network star Jeff Mauro as emcee. This year, Festival attendees will have the chance to go against their favorite celebrities and chefs on the court as the Festival will be selling tickets allowing two teams of two to participate in the tournament.
Throughout the weekend, attendees can spot their favorite stars and musicians at Festival events all around the city. On Saturday, February 24, Grammy-nominated performer and producer DJ CASSIDY will put on a special performance presented by Screwball Peanut Butter Whiskey at the Goya Foods' Grand Tasting Village. On the same night, Les Greene & The Swayzees will be performing on the mainland at Smorgasburg After Dark hosted by Amanda Freitag, Marc Murphy and Robert Irvine. The David Grutman Experience will return on Sunday, February 25, turning the Goya Foods' Grand Tasting Village courtyard into a mini music festival. While talent will be announced closer to the event, guests can expect unforgettable performances curated by the nightlife and hospitality empresario himself, which in the past have featured the likes of French Montana, DJ Khaled, Cedric Gervais, Alesso, Busta Rhymes, Ludacris and more. Rev Run will close out the Festival with a special performance at the official closing event ? BACARD? presents The Block Party hosted by Melba Wilson and Andrew Zimmern ? which takes on a new block party theme this year. New and exciting events include Jazz Brunch at Delilah Miami, Miami's hottest new supper club, hosted by Daniel Roy and Pablo Zitzmann, and Dinner hosted by Zak Stern, Michael Beltran and Jose Mendín at Regener8 Farm.
For those who prefer smaller, more intimate experiences, the festival has curated a plethora of new dinners, brunches, and seated experiences including Brunch at Chef Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bistro Coral Gables and Kosher Dinner hosted by Zak Stern, Timon Balloo, Nando Chang, & Shimi Alon. The Festival's most coveted star-studded sit down event, the Tribute Dinner honoring Massimo Bottura and Luca Garavoglia hosted by Master of Ceremonies "The Pasta Queen" Nadia Caterina Munno presented by HexClad, will take place on Saturday, February 24, and honor the outstanding accomplishments of the culinary community's beloved and iconic Massimo Botturra, along with Luca Garavoglia of Campari Group. The sensational, Nadia Caterina Munno, widely known as "The Pasta Queen", will serve as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening, and a stellar cast of chefs including Bernardo Paladini, Albert Adrià Acosta, Alain Ducasse and Alberto Marcolongo, Antonio Bachour, Mauro Colagreco, and Jordi Roca i Fontané will serve up dishes to pair perfectly with some of the finest wines from the Campari Group portfolio. An extravagant Live Auction featuring once-in-a-lifetime travel and dining experiences will also be available for bidding.
The not-to-be-missed FIU Embrace Dinner hosted by David Myers, Pablo Zitzmann and Ralph Scamardella will be held at ADRIFT Mare at Hotel AKA Brickell on Thursday, February 22. In partnership with the FIU Embrace Center for Advancing Inclusive Communities, this dinner aims to empower differently-abled individuals, giving them real-world experience as volunteers in the event, while raising funds for a scholarship program designed to support these students in pursuing hospitality careers through the university's program. With over $37 million raised in support of its educational mission, the Festival continues to shape the future leaders of the hospitality industry at the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University (FIU). This dinner will be an unforgettable celebration of culinary talent, diversity, and the Festival's continued mission ? to EAT. DRINK. EDUCATE. ? in new and necessary ways.
Tickets for the Festival are On Sale NOW, with events that suit all different tastes and budgets at sobewff.org. To stay up to date on Festival happenings all year long, guests are encouraged to follow along with the #SOBEWFF hashtag on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Press images available HERE.
About the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One
EAT. DRINK. EDUCATE. 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, SOBEWFF® has raised more than $37 million for the School. In November 2022, BizBash named the Festival the #1 Food & Restaurant Industry event in the United States for the tenth year in a row.
The South Beach Wine & Food Festival® is produced by Florida International University and Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, with the support of the Miami Beach Visitors & Convention Authority and the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information about the Festival, visit sobewff.org or call 866.271.8540. For more information about Florida International University visit fiu.edu, for the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management visit hospitality.fiu.edu and for more information about Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits visit southernglazers.com.
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