Miami/South Florida’s Top 100 Events 2016 - Food & Restaurant Industry Events

#1 Food & Restaurant Industry Event
The 15th anniversary of the mega culinary bash drew more than 65,000 people to partake in food and drink from Goya Foods, Bulleit Bourbon, and more. Organizers also debuted the Taste Fort Lauderdale Series, which expanded the festival to five days and included seven Broward County culinary events. Next: February 23-26, 2017

#2 Food & Restaurant Industry Event (up from #6)
The live auction at this year’s festival—held once again at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples—took in more than $11 million, thanks to bids for one-of-a-kind offerings like $750,000 for a new Rolls-Royce Dawn and $400,000 to accompany actress Glenn Close to a cooking class taught by chef Mario Batali. Next: January 27-29, 2017

#3 Food & Restaurant Industry Event
More than 180 purveyors of all things garlic come to downtown Delray Beach for the three-day event, which features live music, cooking demonstrations, kids’ activities, and a bevy of foods featuring garlic. Next: February 10-12, 2017

#4 Food & Restaurant Industry Event
More than 1,200 guests gathered last year at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel and raised nearly $90,000 for hunger-prevention charity Share Our Strength. This year, the event moves to Miami’s Soho Studios. Next: June 17, 2016

#5 Food & Restaurant Industry Event
Attendees experience three days of seafood and music, with an entire outdoor food court devoted to seafood and a trio of stages right on the beach. This year, classic rock band The Guess Who headlined the musical entertainment. Next: April 28-30, 2017

#6 Food & Restaurant Industry Event
The festival raises more than $100,000 each year for the Deering Estate’s conservation and preservation efforts, attracting attendees who come for the cooking demonstrations, live music, educational activities for kids, and more. March 27, 2017

#7 Food & Restaurant Industry Event
The four-day extravaganza of food and drink includes craft beer and wine tastings, an interactive dinner, and a brunch auction. A one-day spring edition this year raised $300,000 for United Way of Miami-Dade. Next: October 5-9, 2016

#8 Food & Restaurant Industry Event
With proceeds benefiting the American Lung Association, attendees at the 21st annual festival this year had the opportunity to sample from 60 restaurants and 45 wineries within the festival’s four-block stretch, as well as take in live music and cooking competitions. Next: April 2017

#9 Food & Restaurant Industry Event
The popular cooking competition moved to Miami’s AmericanAirlines Arena to accommodate a growing audience. Organizers expect 4,000 people to attend this year and have plans to expand further in 2017. Next: July 28, 2016

#10 Food & Restaurant Industry Event
More than 1,500 guests attended the Fort Lauderdale museum’s 21st annual food festival in April, which also featured wine and craft beer tastings, a silent auction, live music, and dancing. Next: Spring 2017

#11 Food & Restaurant Industry Event
Last year, more than 5,000 guests turned out meet, greet, and eat with celebrity chefs and Food Network stars including Robert Irvine, Marc Murphy, Christina Tosi, Jeff Mauro, and Elizabeth Falkner at the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach and other venues. Next: December 8-11, 2016

#12 Food & Restaurant Industry Event
An anticipated 6,500 revelers will come to Coconut Grove this fall to sample 300 craft beers and check out culinary experiments with beer in the “kitchen lab.” Next: October 15, 2016