Through April 13, the second annual Tampa Bay Food and Wine Festival offers foods and events for people to enjoy. The event is brought forth by Breakthru Beverage Florida, and presented by GOYA Foods and the Hillsborough County commissioners.
Last year, over 7,500 guests attended, and this year aims to outshine the last. An estimated 50-plus restaurants are participating this week, alongside a list of VIP chefs and members of the local culinary community.
Starting on the night of April 9, the festival opened with “An Evening at The Tampa Club,” an invite only event on the 42nd floor of the Tampa Club.
April 10 offers the new “Experience Water Street” event, 7 p.m., and admission will be between $125-$350. Attendees will be invited to pick between three to five restaurants when purchasing their tickets. The available restaurants include the Small Giant, Predalina, Rooster & The Till, and Boulon Brasserie. Each option is limited to the amount of guests who can attend, and will include a four-course meal alongside a curated collection of cocktails and wines.
On the 11th, guests are invited to “Experience Hyde Park,” located on 1602 W. Snow Ave., Tampa. Beginning at, 7 p.m., attendees pick between four restaurants, ranging between $135-$350 per guest. Restaurant options are Bouzy, RO Hyde Park, Meat Market and Sur La Table. At Sur La Table guests can take a three-course cooking class, as well as pairing cocktails and wines. The other restaurants offer dining options of several-course meals.
There are two events on April 12. The first is “Breaking Bread with Heroes,” another invitation-only event.
Later in the day, the “Chef Showdown” event will begin at 7 p.m. This 21-plus event will be $150 per person and take place on the new Publix Showcase Kitchen stage. Presented by GOYA Foods and Mountain Valley Water, the event will have guests judging 14 chefs as they go through seven challenges. Media and industry professionals will be the final judges, and the event will be hosted by Chef Robert Irvine from Food Network’s Restaurant: Impossible, who will be joined by Great Day Live’s Java Ingram. Competing chefs will also be doing live demonstrations, and attendees will also be invited to dance and enjoy various cocktails throughout the night.
The final day of the festival, April 13, will feature the “Grand Tasting” event. Serving as the closer, it will be held at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park- 600 N. Ashley Drive, Tampa. For guests ages 20-10, tickets will be $50. For guests who are 21-plus, tickets will be $125. Guests under age 10 are admitted free.
As there will be alcohol served, everyone who is under 21 will be given a wristband that they must wear for the duration of the event.
This event is brought to Tampa by Breakthru Beverage Florida, presented by GOYA Foods and sponsored by Publix. There will be live music, interactive exhibits from sponsors, and international wine and spirits pavilions, along with lounge experiences, and a new culinary demo stage.
Over 40 restaurants from the Tampa Bay area will be in attendance, alongside 50 international wineries, samples from national paired brands, and interactive cocktail experiences. Guests under 21 will have access to unlimited all-inclusive nonalcoholic beverages, and guests over 21 are invited to indulge in the many different food and beverage options at the event.
Visit https://tampabaywff.com for more information and to purchase tickets.