After five months of planning and two days of setup, the Museum of Discovery and Science hosted a few hundred of Fort Lauderdale’s eager foodies and thirsty imbibers for the 17th annual Wine and Culinary Celebration on March 30. The event offered the museum a chance to show off its recent expansion, which added the 34,000-square-foot EcoDiscovery Center, and to grow this year's tasting, which spanned two floors of the longstanding educational and recreational downtown institution.
“We now have double the space of previous years, so we can provide more space for participating vendors and increase the number of vendors,” said Tara McDonnell, director of development at the museum. “It is also a great opportunity for visitors who have not yet seen the expansion to experience it enough that they will want to come back for more.”
The evening kicked off with a V.I.P. martini reception at 6 p.m., provided by Thierry’s Catering, before opening to all ticket holders at 7:30 p.m. After cocktails and tasting plates in the Bank of America courtyard, attendees were greeted inside the museum by a lengthy silent auction with bidding on items such as wine and cheese baskets, spa visits, hotel getaways, and gym memberships.
The tasting part of the evening included pop-up kitchens from 43 restaurants, offering dishes like lobster sandwiches from Capital Grille, pork tacos from Rocco’s Tacos, and mini cupcakes from Hey Cupcake! Southern Wine & Spirits exclusively provided the wine-tasting booths; craft beer suppliers were also on hand, as well as spirits from Skyy Vodka and others.
Following the tasting, celebrators mingled in makeshift lounges and had a chance to browse through the museum’s exhibits. In the courtyard, a DJ provided club tunes for the V.I.P. after-party in a pop-up lounge hosted by the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, offering a bonus helping of hors d’oeuvres, desserts, cocktails, and an espresso bar. The evening raised $180,000 for the museum.
