Local Celeb Chefs at Deering Seafood Festival
Now in its 14th year, the Deering Seafood Festival on the Bay is expected to attract 8,500 people converging upon the historic Deering Estate in Palmetto Bay this Sun., Mar. 25. Sponsored by Tom Thumb Food Stores, this year's event includes chef demonstrations taking place throughout the day. Five celebrated local chefs, along with the winner of the Johnson & Wales Student Culinary Competition, will share their culinary expertise, presenting their favorite seafood recipes using the freshest Florida seafood and accompaniments. Held under the big-top tent in the Deering Estate’s historic courtyard, the featured chefs are:
- Kal Abdalla, A Fish Called Avalon
- Adrianne Calvo, Chef Adrianne's Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar
- Bret Hessler, American Harvest, Grove Bay Hospitality Group
- Victor Manuel Lopez, Pisco y Nazca
- Gil Plaster, Shula's 347 Grill
Attendees at the chef demonstrations will not only be able to enjoy samples of the food prepared, they also will receive copies of the recipe and may engage in a Q&A with each chef. Throughout the day, Johnson & Wales culinary students will assist the chefs in the food preparation, serving and clean up. Chef Damian Gilchrist, a perennial favorite of the Deering Seafood Festival, channels his Louisiana Bayou roots throughout the day preparing fire-roasted oysters and sharing his recipe at the Craft Beer station, donating all proceeds to the Deering Estate Foundation.
The festival also features nonstop live entertainment and activities for children of all ages. Virgin Islands stilt walkers and free-spirited Bahamian Junkanoo musicians weave throughout the crowds, with lively Caribbean musical performances throughout the Estate.
The Deering Seafood Festival also 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 20,000 children annually. For the younger ones, the Li'l Shrimp Kids Zone provides unlimited play on inflatables, creative activities and a kid-friendly menu. 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.
The festival takes place Sunday, March 25 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Deering Estate located 16701 SW 72 Avenue in Palmetto Bay. Adult tickets are $20 in advance online/$25 the day of the event; children 4-14 years $7 in advance/$10 the day of the event. Deering Estate Foundation members enjoy complimentary admission. Ticket includes park entrance and all activities, excluding food, drink, pontoon rides and rock wall. For those wishing to pedal to the festival, a courtesy bike valet sponsored by Heritage House is offered. Free Park and Ride is also available at Westminster Christian School and Palmetto Bay Village Center, with continuous shuttle-bus service to the Estate.
