There’s a new multi-day food festival coming soon to the city of Tampa that incorporates the best restaurants and chefs from across the region. From the creators of the nationally acclaimed South Beach Seafood Festival and producers of the annual Las Olas Wine and Food Festival, the inaugural Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival (TAMPABAYWFF) is officially set to electrify the city with demonstrations of culinary greatness and first-class entertainment, presented by Breakthru Beverage Florida and its partners. This festival runs from Wednesday, April 12 through Saturday, April 15, at multiple venues across the city of Tampa.
CI Management, the team behind some of South Florida’s leading wine and food festivals and experiences (including the South Beach Seafood Festival which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary), is ready to shine a spotlight on the best restaurants and creative talent of the Tampa Bay area with a series of events and celebrations, all in support of Community Initiatives’ annual EAT SMART campaign that engages the future hospitality leaders of the area.
Wine and Food Festival spread across 4 days in Tampa
The inaugural Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival consists of four separate ticketed events taking place throughout the week. The festivities kick off on Wednesday, April 12 with “An Evening at The Tampa Club,” a private, invite-only ticketed experience.
The following evening, guests will gather at one of the area’s most stunning outdoor dining destinations for “Experience Hyde Park,” where the festival has partnered with 4 different restaurants where guests will select their destination and delight in a unique four-course pairing dinner at their favorite hot spot.
Participating Hyde Park restaurants include the ultimate brunch destination Timpano, the sensational Italian eatery Forbici, and the decadent Meat Market. All of these spots round out our top date night spots in the city.
Next up, the legendary “Chef Showdown” competition makes its way to Florida’s west coast on Friday as Tampa Bay’s top chefs gear up for an exciting night of ultimate cook-offs. Attendees will serve as judges as they indulge in endless dishes and refreshing cocktails to select their champions.
Celebrating the best restaurants in Tampa
On Saturday, the final day of the festival, ticket holders will head to Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park for an afternoon at the “Grand Tasting,” where an extensive array of flavor-packed bites and refreshing libations from Tampa Bay’s leading restaurants await paired with internationally recognized wine, cocktail, and brewery experiences set for a VIP.
Taking over the full festival grounds at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, guests will come together to enjoy flavor-packed bites from Tampa Bay’s leading restaurants as restaurants are set up by neighborhood and zones to educate guests on where to find their favorite hot spots after the Grand Tasting day. In addition, guests will find an endless array of cocktail and wine pavilions that will celebrate some of your favorite varietals along with interactive activations from leading national brands. With hundreds of food and drink items to be savored, the Grand Tasting will be a great day at one of Tampa’s favorite parks on the riverfront as guests join together from all over to indulge in the best of the best while listening to live music from local favorites and dancing the day away.
An unforgettable and flavorful four days in Tampa
“As the honorary chef host, I am honored to help bring this event to the Tampa Bay area to celebrate Tampa, St. Petersburg, and all our surrounding area restaurateurs”, says Chef Sean Brasel, Executive Chef and part owner of Meat Market.
“We are ecstatic to bring an unforgettable four days of fun and food to the Tampa Bay area to spotlight the Tampa Bay area’s leading chefs and booming restaurant community,” said Valerie Roy, Director of Marketing and Client Strategy at CI Management, the team behind the Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival. “Our production team, as well as the culinary visionaries involved in the festival, have crafted an impressive lineup of events that reflect the spirit of the region through its gastronomical offerings and we look forward to the start of this annual event that will bring locals and tourists to join together in celebration of the area.”
In addition to celebrating regional culinary talent, the festival supports CI Foundation’s EAT SMART program, a 501 c(3) nonprofit program that provides healthy meals and nutritional guidance to the local community and Florida’s youth through programs in each event destination’s local school systems and partner education non-profits. Since its launch, the program has raised over $1 million for several South Florida non-profit organizations.
Those interested in purchasing tickets, and learning more about each event, can visit the event’s official website.
