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Calling all seafood lovers. The Seafood Festival returns to the Deering Estate on Sunday, Mar. 26.
This award-winning day of “fun in the sun” will delight its guests with everything from cooking demonstrations by top Miami chefs and delicious food from South Florida restaurants, to live music, a Bahamian Junkanoo parade, boat rides, beer lounge, dedicated kid’s area and more.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to once again welcome our neighbors and friends to the 17th annual Deering Seafood Festival, which is undeniably one of our most anticipated events of the year,” said Nina Zanella, executive director of The Deering Estate Foundation. “We have so much to be excited about this year’s festival weekend, starting with a special Chef’s Table on the Bay — An Asian Inspired Evening starring Chef Pablo Zitzmann of Zitz Sum, and we can’t wait to share it with the community, board members and generous sponsors and vendors who never fail to make our events so memorable.”
The 17th annual Deering Seafood Festival will take place on Sunday, Mar. 26, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at Deering Estate located at 16701 SW 72 Ave., in Palmetto Bay. All proceeds will benefit the Deering Estate Foundation and are used to provide funding, advocacy and support for Deering Estate and its initiatives.
Here is what guests can look forward to during the weekend of the 17th annual Deering Seafood Festival:
Chef’s Table on the Bay featuring Chef Pablo Zitzmann
To kick off the weekend, Deering Estate will host Chef’s Table on the Bay – An Asian Inspired Evening on Friday, Mar. 24, the fourth iteration of its wildly successful Chef’s Table on the Bay – Havana Nights that debuted in October 2021. This outdoor dining experience will start with a cocktail hour on the lawn presented by Golden Rule Seafood and move on to cooking demonstrations and a four-course dinner by star chef Pablo Zitzmann from Bogotá, Colombia, who specializes in Asian food. After living in Hong Kong, Hawaii, and Japan, where he dove deeper into the culture and the food, Pablo has been recognized for his work at No Name Chinese, Zitz Sum’s predecessor, and was able to beat Iron Chef Bobby Flay in his own kitchen.
Throughout the night, guests will be able to stroll through the grounds, enjoy live music, take in the beauty of the Deering Estate, and indulge in good food with good company. This is a standalone event during the festival weekend, with tickets priced at $175 per person for members and $200 per person for non-members. Tickets are limited and can be purchased at https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E155795&id=28.
Food and drink vendors
At the Deering Seafood Festival, guests will be able to buy food and drink from some of South Florida’s best restaurants and suppliers. Participating seafood restaurants include Golden Rule Seafood, Sports Grill, Catering by Les, Chef Winston Catering, Antigua Barbuda, Popos Seafood, Mr. Cobbs BBQ, Rodbenders Raw Bar and Grill, Pubbelly Sushi, Paella Party, Conch Mania and Pub Grill. Other food vendors guests can get excited about are Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream and Sugar Boutique. Eagle Brands will be onsite selling Michelob Ultra and Stella Artois. There will be a beer lounge provided by Veza Sur in a shaded area with tables and chairs.
Chef demo tent
Sponsored by the Deering Estate Foundation, the Chef Demo Tent is one of the highlights of the Deering Seafood Festival. It’s where six fabulous South Florida chefs present 45-minute cooking demonstrations of their favorite seafood dishes, many of which are from their restaurant menus. Five demos will be led by chefs from popular Miami restaurants, and the final demo will be completed by the student winner of the annual Deering Seafood Festival Culinary Student Competition, which will take place at Florida International University (FIU) College of Culinary Arts on Mar. 9.
This year, the Chef Demo Tent will feature Eileen Andrade from Finka, Barbacoa by FINKA, and Amelia’s, Chef from Rusty Pelican, a Chef Duo from Suviche, and Michael Bolen from Lion & The Rambler, to name a few. Throughout the day, a team of FIU culinary students will serve as sous chefs to those leading the Chef Demonstration, helping them to prepare their dish and clean up the cooking area.
All cooking demonstrations are free with admission. Audiences are limited to 100 guests per demo, and spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees will enjoy samples of the food prepared by the chef, get a copy of the recipe and have an opportunity to ask questions.
Entertainment and activities
While Florida’s freshest fish and seafood are always the main event, nonstop entertainment will keep the family dancing all day long. The festival will kick off with a Bahamian Junkanoo band and Virgin Island stilt walkers parading through Deering Estate, followed by performances by Jah Steve and The Counter Act Crew, Xant, and Private Stock.
Guests who want to get out on the water can take guided Pelican Skipper pontoon boat rides (for an additional fee) from Deering Estate to Chicken Key. Back on land, arts aficionados can wander down Artists Lane and find handmade paintings, photography, crafts and jewelry by local artisans.
Just for kids
Presented by Kiddos Magazine, The Deering Seafood Festival will have a special “Spring and Easter Fun Shrimp Kid’s Zone” with arts and crafts, a deejay, interesting exhibits, games, kid-friendly food, raffles, a magic show, a toddler play area, a potato sack race and, of course, an appearance by the Easter Bunny. An Easter egg hunt will begin at noon, so all kids are encouraged to bring their Easter baskets and join in the fun.
Also at the festival, Deering Discovery Cove will return with fun, educational programming and activities pulled from Deering Estate’s environmental classes and camps. These programs attract more than 25,000 children throughout the year.
Tickets
Festival attendees are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance at https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/4313516/17th-annual-deering-seafood-festival-miami-deering-estate-foundation. Tickets for adults are priced at $25 in advance and $30 at the gate, and tickets for children ages 4-14 are priced at $7 in advance and $10 at the gate.
While Deering Estate Foundation members are entitled to free festival admission, members must go online to https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/4313516/17th-annual-deering-seafood-festival-miami-deering-estate-foundation to obtain a ticket for entry. Ticket prices include park entrance and activities, but exclude food, drink, boat rides and vendor purchases.
Transportation and parking
In addition to street and area parking, a free “Park and Ride” will be available to all festival guests at Westminster Christian School and Palmetto Bay Village Center. Shuttle buses will go to and from the venue and Deering Estate every 15 minutes. For those wishing to ride their bikes to the festival, a courtesy bike valet will be available from Heritage House.
Sponsors
As a nonprofit organization, the Deering Estate Foundation could not host its exciting community events without the help of its generous supporters. The 17th annual Deering Seafood Festival was made possible by over 35 sponsors, including Eric’s Outboard, Shield Pest Control, Golden Rule Seafood, Shaka Kai, Sports Grill, McLusky, McDonald & Hughes, CHI of South Florida, Eagle Brands as well as media and in-kind sponsors like Kiddos Magazine, Miami’s Community Newspapers, Florida International University, Miami International Airport, Brand Poets, and more. The festival also has the unwavering support of the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council and the Board of County Commissioners.
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