The Most Important Food Event of the Season is back- the NYCWFF

By Jennifer Shanteau

I love the summer, but fall has always held a special spot in my heart.  I’m finally not sweating to death.  There’s September Vogue, cute clothes, fall foliage, apple cider, Halloween…..and the NYCWFF!  Yes, I realize the NYCWFF is not an association everyone makes with fall, but if you attend this iconic foodie heaven, it will be added to your list of fall favorites as well!

The 11th annual Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One takes place October 11^th to 14th, 2018. One hundred percent of the net proceeds from the Festival help fight hunger with No Kid Hungry® and Food Bank For New York City. The NYCWFF has raised more than eleven million dollars to date to help fight hunger, hosting more than seventy events during the weekend all over New York City, with over four hundred participating chefs, winemakers, spirits producers and culinary personalities from around the world.  Last year’s festival drew more than 45,000 hungry fans…..and those are the facts.  The NYCWFF does good things.

Whether you are in the industry, a celebrity chef fan, a home cook, or someone who just loves food, (and drinks), this is the food event of the season!  But……there are so many different events, what do you choose?  Well, if you’re a celebrity chef fan, go have dinner with one!  Yes, you can have your favorite chef cook dinner for you and a limited number of other fans.  Buy these tickets, soon, though.  They are the first to sell out.

This year, the NYCWFF is hosting “A Gathering of Women In and Out of the Kitchen” called “Supper is Served”, featuring special performances by Martina McBride and Natasha Bedingfield to honor women who are changing the game, both in and out of the kitchen.  The evening on the rooftop of Pier 92 will feature more than twenty five female chefs and personalities, plus top female mixologists from NYC.  Click here for tickets to this sure to be memorable event.

Many of the events are strictly for the 21 and over crowd, but there are several events geared toward the whole family like this year’s Breakfast Pajama Party with TODAY’s Dylan Dreyer and Sheinelle Jones, the Cravings Fest with Chrissy Teigen, The Ultimate Pizza Party with Jeff Mauro, and Family Ice Cream Fun Dae with Duff Goldman.  You can even bring your furry family member to Yappie Hour with Katie Lee.

If you’re in the industry, almost every event is applicable, but there are some events specifically for you. There is everything from discussions on marketing, travel, the future of hospitality, to the effects of immigration in the business, and my favorite, Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits Trade Tasting hosted by Wine Spectator.   I attended the trade tasting two years ago, and am still yapping about it.

A lot of the events are new, but some of the most popular events, they hold repeatedly like the Blue Moon Burger Bash with Rachel Ray, Tacos and Tequilla with Aaron Sanchez (my chef crush), and of course the Grand Tasting.

Whatever your preference, from dinners with famous chefs to family gatherings to over 21 crowd celebrations, the NYCWFF is an experience not to be missed. It helps feed children, and you’ll be talking about it for years to come!  Get your tickets here:  https://nycwff.org/events/

Click here to read more about the NYCWFF.