There’s just one week to go until the 12th annual Downtown Food & Wine Fest, which is a festival dedicated to food and wine that takes place downtown.
What else do you need to know?
OK, how about that it is at Lake Eola, on Robinson Street, on Sat., Feb. 22, from noon to 9 p.m. and Sun., Feb 23., from noon to 7 p.m. Besides food and wine, the festival features lots of live entertainment on a big stage.
Tickets are $15 each day or $25 for both – food and wine purchases are separate; more about that in a moment. There are also some VIP package tickets that you can learn about at the website.
And while we’re on the subject of tickets, I’ve got some to give away.
As with all our drawings, the winner will be selected from among the subscribers to my weekly News from the Flog e-letter. If you’re on the list, you’re in the drawing. If not, sign up in seconds here. I’ll draw two names: the first winner will get two tickets for either Sat. or Sun., winner’s choice; the second name drawn will get the remaining day’s two tickets. (Drawing will be at noon Friday, Feb. 14, and winners will be notified immediately by email.)
Now let’s talk about food. You’ll find our friends from Delaney’s Tavern and American Social there along with about 28 other restaurants. There will be about 50 wines to try, or if you prefer, beers and cocktails.
For the first time, DFWF is going cashless. No, that doesn’t mean that everything’s free. It also doesn’t mean that you pay for your food and drink with a credit card, at least not directly.
When you turn in your tickets at the entrance to the event, you’ll be given a special wristband. You’ll take the wristband to a top-off station where you can load it with legal tender. Here you may use credit card or, if you tend toward the antediluvian, you may use cash money. But only here – the food and beverage stands will not be equipped to handle cash. How much you put on the wristband is up to you, but a $1 fee will be deducted for processing. Sort of like when you get a new MetroCard to ride the subway in New York.
Need to know more? Look over the Downtown Food & Wine Fest website. You can also see a list of restaurants, music acts, and purchase tickets and see the VIP options.
