South Beach Seafood Festival

OK, we all know about the huge Sobe Wine & Food Festival that happens in February, but that one can be expensive and isn’t really about the local food scene.  The 2nd annual Hess Select South Beach Seafood Festival – which launches next week – its quite the opposite. Tickets start at $25 for general admission and go up to $150 for the super-duper VIP events.  There is even a kids’ village. The whole event fundraises for the #EatSmart campaign, which is something parents should be VERY concerned about.

Taking place October 22-25, 2014, the main festival is on Saturday the 25th from 1-9 p.m.  Guests will enter a tent on 7th and Ocean in South Beach by walking thru a Retail Village featuring pop up shops from festival partners and enter into the main festival grounds which will be surrounded by 10 mini cafes from signature local restaurants, multiple bars, a live entertainment stage, interactive zones, and more. The selected restaurants will have tents with garden seating and showcase 2-3 generous portions of their signature menu dishes of choice that are priced between $5-$10.

Additional seafood pairing brands will showcase samplings and a demo stage will celebrate the expertise from the selected restaurant and partner brand chefs, Hess sommeliers, and signature mixologists from participating spirit brands. Unique pairing activities will be available along with multiple interactive villages, a GOYA kids zone filled with activities, a Health Village showcasing Doctors Hospital, Walgreens, & Equinox, cool down stations, and much more.

Participating restaurants over the course of the festival include Joe’s Stone Crab, Oceanaire, Naked Taco, Alta Mar, City Hall, Red, and many more. All info can be found on sobeseafoodfest.com

Additional lead-in events include a Seafood Shuffle on Thursday October 23rd and the newly-announced Chef Showdown at the Seafood & Sneakers Ball on Friday October 24th.  The Chef Showdown will bring together some of the area’s most beloved restaurants as their chefs compete head to head for the title of the best seafood dishes in various categories, and will be hosted by Celebrity Chef Ralph Pagano. Attendees will participate in the public vote as guests will visit the tasting stations around the event space showcasing the 12 participating restaurants, sample their signature dishes showcased on the demo stages, and vote on who is the best in each category. In addition, there will be signature raw bars, featured wine and cocktails, interactive zones, a fashion show featuring #MadeinMiami brands, and more. All sustainable seafood for the event will be provided by event sponsor, Whole Foods.