Update 3/6/2020: After consulting with Doral city officials, organizers of the Doral Food & Wine Festival have postponed the event, originally scheduled for March 21-22, 2020, until further notice. From the press release: "Both founders of the festival, Ico and Natalia Manzanero, expressed their concern for the well-being and safety of the community of Doral and all neighboring cities, along with everyone else involved in the management and production of the festival." The organization promises to contact ticket holders with more information.
Original story follows below:
Doral is undergoing a renaissance. Once filled with chain restaurants, this West Miami-Dade city now boasts vibrant nightlife and dining scenes.
If you've been considering a visit to explore Doral further, there's no better time than during the Doral Wine & Food Festival this March 21 and 22. Now in its fourth year, the event promises a significant array of eateries boasting delicious bites and a lively experience for the whole family.
The two-day festival will present top chefs, performances by soon-to-be-announced musical artists, and a diverse selection of food, wine, and spirits. Back this year is the crowd favorite: a beer garden where you can enjoy a cold brew. The event will also offer a barista experience, where you can enjoy designer coffee beverages.
Ico and Natalia Manzanero of Ico-U-Go Productions founded the event in 2016 to bring awareness to the city's burgeoning food scene. Says Ico: "Moving to the city of Doral in 2016 and being in the beverage, marketing, and entertainment industry, we noticed that it was a beautiful fast-growing city and every beautiful city has its own food and wine festival."
The husband and wife set about producing a festival that caters to the entire family. "Visitors can expect an incredible event for people of all ages," Ico says. "It's an incredible outdoor event with lots of restaurants, wines, spirits, desserts, a beer garden, kids' zone, celebrity chef demonstrations, and much more."
The festival's lineup includes favorite Doral restaurants such as 107 Steak & Bar, CMX Cinebistro, the Doral Yard, and Top Golf. In addition, the Beer Garden Food Truck Invasion will offer diverse bites paired with craft beer. Visitors can also expect demonstrations by local celebrity chefs, wine-pairing classes, and a kids' area with train rides, bounce houses, and cooking activities.
General-admission tickets cost $25 and include 12 sampling tickets good for food, wine, beer, or spirits. Additional food items cost $5 and $8, and sweets cost $3.
VIP tickets cost $115 per day and include 12 sampling tickets good for food, wine, beer, or spirits. In addition, VIP ticketholders have access to an exclusive area with additional restaurants serving unlimited bites.
The festival benefits St. Jude Children's Research Hospital by donating one dollar for every ticket sold to the Memphis-based facility.
In the past four years, the festival has grown, with about 10,000 attendees estimated for 2020. Ico says the key to the event's success is in its diversity and value. "Every year, the festival keeps getting bigger and better, with bigger celebrity chef names on our chef demonstration stage, and our live entertainment will definitely keep you dancing and grooving."
Doral Food & Wine Festival. 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday, March 21, and 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday, March 22, in Doral Central Park, 3000 NW 87th Ave., Doral. Tickets cost $25 to $115 via doralfoodandwinefestival.com; children aged 12 or younger get in free. POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE