Celebrity Chef Guy Fieri will host the launch event for the 2023 South Beach Wine & Food Festival.
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It’s time to make your game plan for the 2023 South Beach Wine & Food Festival.
The website is online to browse the annual four-day festival, which this year is expected to draw pre-pandemic-sized crowds to South Beach from Feb. 23-26. Tickets go on sale November 7, but those with a CapitalOne credit card can start purchasing tickets a week earlier, from October 31 through November 31. 6.
The biggest change will be a return to the festival’s pre-pandemic form. The major outdoor events were split into two sessions the last two years. This meant that crowds of 4,000 people were instead split into two smaller crowds. This year, events like Burger Bash – hosted by celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse – and the Grand Tasting will once again be one-session affairs.
More than 90 events are split between Miami-Dade and Broward counties this year. And special attention is given to more than 40 intimate dinners and small-group specialty classes, features lost over the past two festivals due to COVID spikes.
“More dinners than ever. More masterclasses. More intimate settings,” said festival founder Lee Schrager. “Lots of fun and intimate experiences for those who want it.”
Celebrity chef Guy Fieri kicks off the festival once again, with a version of his popular “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” Some of the best spots featured on his Food Network show over the years will feature their best bites.
Emeril will be bringing his Bam-tastic persona to the annual Burger Bash. And actor Danny Trejo returns to host Tacos and Tequila on the Beach, another highlight event.
Locals will play a role as they have done in recent years at the festival. Rev Run will host a nightly event in Smorgasburg, Wynwood’s popular outdoor venue that showcases local restaurateurs. Marcus Samulesson will host an event in Overtown at his restaurant Red Rooster. And there will be a series of new pop-up events at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits headquarters in Wynwood.
Plus, look for masterclasses with James Beard Award-nominated chef Michael Pirolo of Macchialiana, who teaches pizza, Kendall’s Smoke & Dough founder Harry Coleman, who teaches barbecue and Islas Canarias zions, Eileen and Jonathan Andrade, who teach how to make croquetas.
New York chef Alex Guarnaschelli, a regular on Food Network shows such as “Chopped,” will be the guest of honor at the annual tribute dinner. And the host of the evening is none other than celebrity chef Bobby Flay.
Expect crowds to rise to around 60,000 for the weekend, up from 45,000 last year and around 20,000 when the event took place in May 2021, with heavier COVID precautions. This year, guests won’t have to declare via an app that they’ve tested negative for COVID or are vaccinated, according to the festival’s website.
South Beach Wine and Food Festival 2023
When: February 23-26
Tickets: On sale November 7; October 31 for Capital One credit cardholders
More information: Sobewff.org
This story was originally published October 25, 2022 2:13 p.m.
