Inaugural Brooklyn Food & Wine festival coming to Barclays

A first-of-its-kind food and wine festival is on its way to Brooklyn!

Jam-packed with delicious eats and libations, the inaugural Brooklyn Food & Wine festival – to be held at Barclays Center – will be a celebration of the distinctive, diverse and extraordinary culinary culture Brooklyn has to offer.

Organized by Food & Wine magazine and Brooklyn Direct, a programming division of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (BSE), the festival’s program will showcase Brooklyn’s vibrant food scene, bringing together 150 of the borough’s best restaurants, chefs, artisans and purveyors.  Celebrity chefs and culinary aficionados Mario Batali, Tom Colicchio, Carla Hall, Gail Simmons, Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli will be making appearances as well.

“Brooklyn is one of the most exciting culinary destinations in the world,” said Food & Wine’s Editor in Chief Nilou Motamed. “As a long-time Brooklyn resident, I couldn’t be more thrilled to host our newest signature event in this great borough and bring a one-of-a-kind experience to our passionate audience of food lovers. With access to brilliant chefs, authentic local food and ingenious tastemakers and artisans, this will be a celebration of Brooklyn’s singular contribution to the culinary zeitgeist.”

The two-day festival, to be held on February 17 and 18, 2017, will feature multifaceted events like a grand tasting with unlimited food and wine from 150 premier vendors; cooking, wine and cocktail demonstrations featuring celebrity chefs, VIP speakers and key industry tastemakers; a VIP dinner at the 40/40 club, curated by celebrity chefs and world-class food and wine vendors; and official VIP after-parties on both Friday and Saturday nights.

“It’s an honor to host this event with Food & Wine, the premier voice of the culinary world,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of BSE. “Brooklyn Food & Wine Festival will celebrate Brooklyn’s flourishing food culture and entertainment scene in a distinctive style that matches our borough. This event is made possible through our Brooklyn Direct programming division, which works directly with content producers to curate original events.”

Tickets for the festival will go on sale on Thursday, October 20 at 10 a.m. and can be purchased online via Ticketmaster by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com, or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the American Express Box Office starting at noon on October 22.  For more information on the event and a full schedule, please visit www.foodandwine.com/bklynfw.