There's no shortage of competition among food festivals, but organizers behind the new Flavors of Fort Lauderdale, which debuts November 8-11, felt there was a missing link between one-day street-food fairs and high-end events like the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival.
"I don't think there's anything in the middle there that really speaks to the local culinary lifestyle and easy way of living that epitomizes South Florida," said Robert Hulsmeyer, executive producer of Flavors of Fort Lauderdale, which was announced Tuesday. "The event itself really has the personality of the city in the beach area. It's not a street fair or [a festival with] imported celebrities that create buzz for a short amount of time. Our job is to create a sustainable memory of the culinary offerings available to locals and tourists in the Fort Lauderdale area."
The idea came from conversations with Fort Lauderdale hotel executives who were looking to create an event to drive tourism during the slow season. A culinary event seemed like a winner, as long as it focused on local chefs rather than bringing in "boldface names," Hulsmeyer said. That would reinforce the goal of branding Fort Lauderdale as a culinary destination even after the festival ends.
The festival lineup includes a prix fixe dine-around on Thursday at various restaurants with an after-party sponsored by the South Florida chapter of ISES. A V.I.P. kickoff party at the Westin Beach Resort & Spa is planned for Friday. Saturday night is "Flavors After Dark," an evening of entertainment and food truck fare at the Las Olas Marina, and Sunday afternoon will be a grand tasting also at the marina.
Sponsors will have a chance to create pavilions featuring restaurants, gourmet foods, and lifestyle goods that fit their brand, Hulsmeyer said. For instance, sponsor Royal Caribbean will have a pavilion that supports the cruise lifestyle. "We're creating more of an experience as opposed to a line of stalls with sponsors," he said.
While organizers expect a group of largely local attendees the first year, Hulsmeyer said he hopes that the event expands to people within the driving market and even beyond in future iterations of the event.
