FOOD NETWORK & COOKING CHANNEL SOUTH BEACH WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL PRESENTED BY CAPITAL ONE ANNOUNCES 20th ANNIVERSARY LINE-UP OF EVENTS WITH COVID-19 HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS
-The Festival Returns with New Standards to EAT. DRINK. EDUCATE. and Support Local May 20-23, 2021-
Widely recognized as one of America’s favorite gourmet gatherings on the beach, the Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival Presented by Capital One (SOBEWFF®) returns with new protocols dedicated to delivering a safe and comfortable event experience this Spring, May 20-23, 2021. The Festival will look and feel different this year, but the commitment is unchanged – to EAT. DRINK. EDUCATE. in support of its educational mission to cultivate the future leaders of the hospitality industry at the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University (FIU) and to aid the South Florida hospitality industry during the regrowth phase by giving participating chefs, bartenders and restaurateurs a platform to promote their businesses.
To ensure the safety of Festival-goers and Festival staff, SOBEWFF® has consulted with the FIU Healthcare Committee on COVID-19 Health & Safety Protocols that follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), State of Florida Department of Health, Miami-Dade County, and the City of Miami Beach. Among them, attendees can expect to provide proof and/or attestation of a negative PCR COVID-19 test dated no more than 72 hours prior to the event(s) or alternatively proof of completed COVID-19 vaccination; presentation of a cleared SymCheck™️ QR Code; a contactless ticketing system; and temperature checks at all events. Apart from the Wine Spectator Wine Seminar Series, all events will take place outdoors with new additional measures on capacity restrictions, cleaning, sanitization, limited physical contact, and mask requirements. For full details, please visit sobewff.org/covid-guidelines.
“The health and safety of our staff, talent, attendees, sponsors, participants, and community is our top priority,” said Lee Brian Schrager, Festival Founder & Director. “We also recognize the impact our Festival has on the local hospitality industry and the economy at large. Since the start of the pandemic, our entire Festival team and partners have been focused on developing a program that highlights and benefits the local industry while simultaneously putting a premium on the health and safety of everyone involved to ensure we provide an exceptional guest experience. We want fans and friends to have a great time while feeling confident that their safety and welfare is the main priority.”
The 20th annual Festival will kick-off Thursday, May 20 with Carbone Fine Food presents Italian Bites on the Beach sponsored by Havas House hosted by Giada De Laurentiis. Later that evening fans can celebrate 20 years in style at Fontainebleau Miami Beach with the SOBEWFF® 20th Anniversary Celebration hosted by Martha Stewart featuring a surprise musical performance and bites by Popeyes® including the fan-favorite famous chicken sandwich (yes, that chicken sandwich).
The Festival’s signature fan-favorite open-air tasting tents nestled on the sands of Miami Beach will feature for the first time ever, multiple daily sessions to accommodate capacity restrictions, thorough sanitization and more. The iconic events will showcase the nation’s most talented chefs and lifestyle personalities including:
The 15th annual Heineken Burger Bash presented by Schweid & Sons® hosted by Bobby Flay (Friday, May 21)
The return of the fan-favorite Moët & Chandon Champagne BubbleQ® hosted by Guy Fieri (Saturday, May 22)
Goya Foods’ Grand Tasting Village featuring Grand Tasting Tents & Publix Culinary Demonstrations sponsored by Sub-Zero Group Southeast (Saturday, May 22 and Sunday, May 23)
The Tribute Dinner will take place al fresco at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel on Saturday, May 22 and will honor the outstanding accomplishments of the culinary community’s beloved Giada De Laurentiis and former CEO of Bacardi USA Eduardo M. Sardiña and will be hosted by Masters of Ceremonies and Miami royalty, Gloria & Emilio Estefan.
New event additions to the 20th anniversary Festival include:
Explore Delray Beach Market hosted by the Youngest-Ever MasterChef Finalist and influencer Nick DiGiovanni (Thursday, May 20)
Sunset Happy Hour presented by Santo Tequila hosted by Guy Fieri and Sammy Hagar (Friday, May 21)
Celebration Dessert Party! 20 Years of Miami Spice and SOBEWFF® hosted by Scott Conant (Saturday, May 22)
Rockin’ Sushi hosted by The Succulent Bite® (Saturday, May 22)
Brunch hosted by Adrianne Calvo and Claire Robinson part of the Town House® Cracker Brunch Series (Sunday, May 23)
BACARDI’s Best of the Fest hosted by Andrew Zimmern with a special performance by Rev-Run (Sunday, May 23)
A plethora of intimate dinner experiences hosted by some of the country’s most celebrated, critically acclaimed chefs will accent this year’s events including:
Dinner hosted by Michelle Bernstein, Hy Vong and Antonio Bachour to celebrate the release of Mango and Peppercorns: A Memoir of Food, an Unlikely Family, and the American Dream (Thursday, May 20)
Locals Only Dinner hosted by Luciana Giangrandi, Alex Meyer, Zak Stern & Carey Hynes (Thursday, May 20)
Dinner hosted by Thomas Keller and Manuel Echeverri at The Surf Club Restaurant (Friday, May 21)
Dinner hosted by Enrique Olvera and Diego Oka (Friday, May 21)
Dinner hosted by Mike Bagale, Virgilio Martínez and Anthony Le Pape part of the American Airlines Dinner Series (Saturday, May 22)
Dinner hosted by Andrew Zimmern, Michael Schwartz and Michael Paley (Saturday, May 22)
Dinner hosted by Michael White and Antonio Mermolia part of the American Airlines Dinner Series (Saturday, May 22)
Sunday Supper hosted by Mario Carbone (Sunday, May 23)
Between SOBEWFF® and its sister NYCWFF, which takes place each October in New York City, more than $45 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, engage and inspire people to get involved in philanthropic activities and support the local community.
Ticket sales open to the public on Monday, March 22, 2021. The complete line-up of events for the 20th annual Festival is available online at sobewff.org. Stay up to date all year long by following along with the #SOBEWFF hashtag on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
About the Food Network & Cooking Channel 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 $31.8 million for the School. In September 2019, BizBash named the Festival the #1 Food & Restaurant Industry event in the United States for the seventh 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 877-762-3933. 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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