More than 8,000 people are expected to attend this year’s Deering Seafood Festival on Sunday, Mar. 29, at the Deering Estate in Palmetto Bay.
The family-friendly event is a non-stop celebration of nature’s beauty and bounty, filled with plenty of fresh seafood, chef demos, live entertainment and activities for the kids.
All proceeds benefit the Deering Estate Foundation, to raise awareness and support programming for community, conservation and culture. Tickets sell out fast, so save money by purchasing tickets in advance.
The Deering Seafood Festival has been recognized as the Best Event of the Year by the Greater Miami Festival and Events Association and is the only one-day festival to be recognized among the Top 10 Events for eight consecutive years by BizBash magazine.
A new and exciting event to kick off the festival this year is the Chef’s Table on Friday, Mar. 27, at 7 p.m. This is a three-course dining experience curated and prepared by chefs Cindy and Ashley Hutson from Ortanique, a celebrated restaurant in Coral Gables. They will demonstrate how to prepare the meal, which will then be paired with select wines and cocktails for the guests to enjoy. For tickets and information, call 305-235-1668, ext 272.
Foodies flock to this culinary extravaganza, which is custom-made for seafood lovers, featuring fresh catches from local restaurants and thirst-quenching drinks along Seafood Alley sponsored by Golden Rule Seafood.
When not diving into a plethora of seafood selections, guests may enjoy the chef demonstrations with celebrated chefs from South Florida restaurants, plus the winner of the Johnson & Wales Student Culinary Competition. The chef demos take place throughout the day under the tent over the Deering Estate’s historic courtyard, and each cooking demo is limited to just 100 people on a first-come, first-served basis. Chefs will show off their skills as they present their favorite seafood recipes using the freshest of ingredients. This is the time for guests to interact with the chefs and learn how to prepare delicious seafood dishes. Each attendee will receive a copy of the recipe and a free entry for a raffle.
Live entertainment — While Florida’s freshest fish and seafood are always the main event, non-stop entertainment takes place throughout the day on the main stage sponsored by Shield Pest Control. It is a day of family fun, dancing and grooving to live bands all day long, along with the world-renowned Bahamian Junkanoo and Virgin Island stilt walkers weaving throughout the crowd.
Activities for the kids — the Deering Seafood Festival offers activities that are both fun and educational for children of all ages, including Deering Discovery Cove, with fun, educational programming that incorporates interactive event stations that highlight the deering estate’s ongoing, hands-on environmental education programs and camps that serve more than 17,000 children annually.
For the younger ones, the Li’l Shrimp Kids Zone sponsored by Pat Brockway provides unlimited play on inflatables, creative activities and a kid-friendly menu when hunger strikes.
Ongoing activities include a rock-climbing wall and the Pelican Skipper pontoon boat rides to Chicken Key, as well as Artists Lane, featuring paintings, photography, crafts and jewelry by local artisans.
For those wishing to pedal to the festival, a courtesy bike valet is offered through Green Mobility Network. Free Park and Ride also is available at Westminster Christian School and Palmetto Bay Village Center, with continuous shuttle-bus service to the estate.
Deering Seafood Festival is made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, Cultural Affairs Council, and Miami-Dade Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.
The Deering Seafood Festival takes place on Mar. 29, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., at the Deering Estate, 16701 SW 72 Ave. in Palmetto Bay. Tickets for the Deering Seafood Festival are $20 in advance/ $25 at the gate for adults; $7 in advance/ $10 at the gate for children ages 4-14.
The event is free for Deering Estate Foundation members.
For more information on the event, call 305-235-1668, ext. 263, or visit www.DeeringSeafoodFestival.org.
