New York City has some of the best food in the world, and New York City Wine & Food, which is a festival supporting New Yorkers in need, is its biggest culinary celebration. You’ll get to try shiny new dishes prepared by famous chefs — you might have seen a few of them on the Food Network, which has its headquarters in NYC. With 80 individually priced parties, cooking classes, dinners and celebrity-hosted cookouts, this is a networking extravaganza for chefs looking for cookbook deals, but it also churns out a lot of really good food.
One major change this year: New York City Wine & Food Festival is shifting to Brooklyn with a new massive footprint in Brooklyn Army Terminal. Officially dubbed the Invesco QQQ Campus at Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park, it will serve as the fest’s base as the 80+ events are scattered throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan.
If you’re planning to attend NYCWFF for the first time and you have to pick just one event, try one of these two signature events: Grand Tasting is a city-block-sized convention of food and wine sampling and Blue Moon Burger Bash is billed by the fest as it’s most popular event. (The latter is presented by Pat LaFrieda Meats hosted by Rachael Ray.) If you’re a first-timer you can also expect brunches, intimate dinners, wine tastings, culinary demonstrations, happy hours and pier parties, but also demos, seminars, nutrition counseling and more.
The NYC Wine & Food festival always draws notables from the Food Network and New York City foodie and wine worlds — Bobby Flay will host a dance party, for instance — as well as a handful of stars from film and music. This year Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg will be on hand to promote their ready-to-drink cocktail Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop, actress Blake Lively will host a happy hour, and Neil Patrick Harris will MC the drag disco.
FAQ
When is the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival?
The fest runs from Thursday, October 17 to Sunday, October 20.
Who is the festival’s founder?
Lee Brian Schrager is the festival founder and director.
When is the presale?
The presale was July 10 at 9 a.m. through July 14.
When is Tacos & Tequila this year?
This walk-around tasting spotlights New York’s best taquerias and a variety of tequilas. It will be held on Friday, October 18 from 9-11 PM and will be hosted by Aaron Sanchez. Here’s more info on nycwff.org.
Where is Blake Lively’s event appearance?
Blake Lively will host a happy hour at The Lawn Club in The Seaport.
Is there a partner hotel to the festival?
The official site lists a “headquarter hotel” which is The Wall Street Hotel. The address is 88 Wall Street.
What do the event’s proceeds support?
NYCWFF’s charitable partner is God’s Love We Deliver, a New York City provider of life-sustaining meals and nutrition counseling, according to the fest’s site. God’s Love We Deliver serves in-need New Yorkers in all five boroughs but also Hudson Valley and New Jersey.