Las Olas Wine & Food Festival 2023 is almost here!
America’s largest Culinary Street Festival returns! FRIDAY, APRIL 21
By Kenny Spahn
Get ready fellow Foodies, fine wine & craft beer fans, and partygoers of all sorts – the BIG one is almost here! That’s right, The American Lung Association’s Las Olas Wine & Food Festival takes place Friday, April 21. Now celebrating its 27th consecutive year (except for the 2020 Covid shutdown), the “Las Olas” has become the nation’s biggest, best, and most celebrated all-inclusive culinary street festival.
For one iconic evening, Ft. Lauderdale’s famed Las Olas Boulevard closes to vehicular traffic and morphs into the ultimate street food festival and party. Here’s where fellow foodies and party-goers (like you!) hit the street to experience unlimited free samplings from dozens of the area’s top restaurants, plus an endless stream of fine wines, spirits, craft beers, and cocktails — while partying to live music, entertainment, vendor exhibits, and other frivolity, including interactive games, intriguing displays, socializing, and general frivolity among a few thousand of their new best friends. And the best part, it all goes to benefit a worthy cause – the American Lung Association, and its valiant efforts to combat lung disease (the third leading cause of death in the U.S.!), with all proceeds going directly to ALA South Florida.
Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to savor your way through an incredible array of the area’s finest eateries. And this year promises to be better than ever, with an All-Star lineup including: 2 Korean Girls, ABIAKA at The Hard Rock, American Social, Big City Tavern, Burlock Coast, Bodega Taqueria, Casa Sensei, Chef Rose Jamaican Cuisine, COYO TACO, Cooper’s Hawk Winery, Corner Lounge, Crema Gourmet Espresso Bar, Cuba Libre, Deccan Spice Indian Kitchen, Dunkin, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Fogo de Chao, Franceschini’s Espresso Cart, Frites Artois, Fritto, Gelato Petrini, Gran Forno, I Love Panzerotti, Louie Bossi, Nature Heals, New River Cafe & Bakery, Nikki’s Foods, Palm Room, Pronto, Radiant 166, Rice Mediterranean Kitchen, Santiago’s Bodega, Serafina Waterfront Trattoria, Sistrunk Marketplace, SpaJuiceBar, Tabanero, The Alchemist Café, The House on the River, The Hollywood Donut Factory, Timpano, Tommy Bahama, The Dutch Fry, Wild Sea Oyster Bar, Wild Thyme Oceanside Eatery, Ya Mas! Taverna, YOLO, and more! And to accompany all this fine fare, enjoy endless pours of fine wines (over 100!), along with a multitude of craft beers, specialty cocktails, spirits, and soft drinks.
“But Wait – There’s More!” There’s a LOT more to this street party than just food & drinks. Also on tap for the evening: Live music, DJ’s, dancing, luxury lounges, assorted giveaways, and, of course, plenty of socializing, networking and general frivolity with like-mined party-goers and foodies.
And VIP Ticket holders also get extra perks, including early access to the Tasting Pavilions, and exclusive access to a VIP Kickoff Reception from 5:30-7:30 hosted by the Riverside Hotel, at the all new 788 Rooftop Lounge Veranda, overlooking Las Olas Blvd. The VIP Private Reception includes hors d’oeuvres from Wild Sea Oyster Bar, and the opportunity to enjoy a complimentary happy hour wine & Champagne toast amongst fellow VIP guests, before heading down to the tasting pavilions.
Tickets are $150 (while they last), and are all-inclusive, including unlimited samplings of all food and beverages, activities, and access to all VIP lounges! A very limited number of VIP tickets, including early entry and the VIP Reception at the Riverside are available for $50. NOTE: The Festival usually sells out—especially the VIP tickets, so get your tickets now, while they’re still available!
The 27th Annual Las Olas Wine and Food Festival takes place Friday, April 21, 2023 from 7:30-10:30 pm, or 7:00 Early Admission for VIP ticket holders, along Las Olas Boulevard (from SE 6th Avenue to SE 11th Ave.) in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. See the Festival website for a list of the participating restaurants, beverage providers, and sponsors. Tickets are $150. A very limited number of VIP tickets are available for $50 more. To purchase tickets or for more information including a complete lineup of events, visit https://lasolaswff.com/; email info@lasolaswff.com; or call (954) 727-0907. Share the experience on Social Media: #LOWFF and @LasOlasWFF. This event is 21 and over.
All proceeds benefit the American Lung Association and its mission to fight lung disease, the third leading cause of death in the U.S. For more information about the American Lung Association, visit https://www.lung.org/
So get ready to stroll, sip, sample, schmooze, socialize, sample some more, and celebrate at the ultimate street party! The Las Olas Wine & Food Festival – now that’s a party!
NOTE: Yes, this is an outdoor event, but it’s for the American Lung Association – so for the enjoyment of everyone, please NO SMOKING for a few hours, OK??
About CI Management: CI Management Group is a South Florida-based event management company with over 20 years of hosting non-profit fundraising events, including the famed Las Olas Wine & Food Festival, and the South Beach Seafood Festival. For more information about CI Management and its EAT SMART program, visit www.ci-mgt.com . Also Facebook or Instagram @wearecimgt, or call 305-255-3500.
About the Author: Kenny Spahn is a renowned food critic, culinary columnist, and restaurant authority, and has published over 900 culinary articles. Mr. Spahn is President of Restaurant Placement Group, the exclusive recruiting, placement, and consulting firm for the restaurant and hospitality industry. Visit: https://www.restaurantplacement.com/
TAGS: Las Olas Wine & Food Festival, Las Olas, Ft. Lauderdale, Events, Food & Wine, @LasOlasWFF American Lung Association, ALA South Florida, Restaurant Placement Group, Kenny Spahn, www.RestaurantPlacement.com, Events, Restaurants, Wine, Beer, #LOWFF, Lung Cancer, Lung Disease
