Festivals in Paradise
Pack your swimsuit and make plans for the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, the Cayman Cookout, the Nassau Paradise Island Wine & Food Festival, and the South Beach Seafood Festival
All across the United States, people are getting ready to cozy up with a sweater and a pumpkin spice latte.
If you’re sitting with a bowl of soup, dreaming of sipping a cocktail under a palm tree, we’ve got you covered.
Tropical resort destinations like Miami Beach, Paradise Island in the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands are hosting major food festivals where you can sip on cocktails, eat like royalty, and party like a rockstar — all with your toes in the sand.
The South Beach Wine & Food Festival
The South Beach Wine & Food Festival returns to Miami Beach from February 20 to 23, 2025. The roster of events has just gone live, even before tickets go on sale (Capital One Cardholders will have first dibs on coveted events like the Grand Tasting Village and the Burger Bash from October 21 - 27, 2024 before tickets go on sale to the general public). This is generally one of the largest festivals in the United States with more than 105 dinners, tastings, brunches, and seminars planned.
Most of the signature events happen directly on the beach, but the festival has grown so large, that its footprint now extends to mainland Miami, taking up hotel ballrooms, parks, restaurants, and even a yacht. The festival, celebrating 24 years of fun in the sun, attracts celebrities and tenured chefs who own Michelin-starred establishments. Take, for example, this year’s Tribute Dinner, honoring Dominique Crenn and Gérard Bertrand.
Broken Palate will take a deeper dive into the festival with founder, Lee Schrager in the coming weeks, but for now, plan your weekend here.
Going to the New York City Wine & Food Festival? Broken Palate readers are invited to save 25 percent on tickets to Burger Bash by using code Burger25 at checkout. Find tickets and more at NYCWFF.org.
South Beach Seafood Festival
If you’re the spontaneous type, you have a week to book a ticket to Miami Beach for the South Beach Seafood Festival. The two-day festival runs Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 25 at Lummus Park in South Beach (13th Street and Ocean Drive).
What better way to celebrate the Salt Life than to savor fresh seafood from Miami’s best chefs directly on the sand? The best part of this festival is that each day has a completely different vibe. On Friday Evening, from 7 to 11 p.m., the Chef Showdown features 11 different head-to-head culinary competitions with ticketholders voting on their favorites in each category. There are also live culinary battles, music, dancing, and cocktails. Celebrity chef Robert Irvine hosts the event.
On Saturday afternoon from 1 to 5 p.m., four blocks of Miami Beach will be dedicated to feasting on dishes from the city’s best seafood restaurants. Because this is South Beach, there’ll be plenty of day-drinking and day-club vibes. For more info and tickets, visit sobeseafoodfest.com.
Nassau Paradise Island Wine & Food Festival
Now in its third year, this festival checks all the boxes for a delightful getaway. The festival’s home base is Atlantis Paradise Island resort — a lush resort that offers everything from a world-class casino and celebrity chef-driven restaurants to casino gaming and an underwater world filled with sharks and stingrays.
From March 12 to 16, 2025 eat, drink, and mingle with top chefs like Michael Symon, Alon Shaya, JJ Johnson, José Andrés, Michael White, and Bobby Flay. Learn the art of cocktail making from legend Tony Abou-Ganim, experience Bahamian flavors and culture, and dance all night at the Jerk Jam, featuring a performance by Shaggy! Events include an island tour with Michael Symon, a deep dive into the Bahamian culinary treasure, conch with José Andrés, and a rousing gospel brunch with Kardea Brown. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit atlantisbahamas.com.
Cayman Cookout
This famed soiree, held at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, offers food lovers a chance to experience their favorite chefs in an intimate setting. The Cookout package starts at an “oh so affordable” $13,242 and includes breakfast for two, accommodations for the entire weekend, round trip air transportation, and two tickets to the Wednesday Welcome Party, the Thursday Barefoot BBQ, the Friday Discover Cayman, the Sunday Rum and Robusto, and the Sunday Closing Party. It’s expensive, but for foodies, it’s bound to be a weekend to remember. Book your package here.