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Kick off Growing Season at GrowFest

October 13, 2016

How do you know when our growing season kicks off? It's GrowFest time at Fruit and Spice Park. This annual celebration connects the dots between the farm and garden and dinner table. Here are some of the highlights of this year's event, held Sat. and Sun., Oct. 15-16:

SEEDLING SALE: Get your vegetable starts! Pick up seedings for heirloom tomatoes, herbs and other vegetables.

ARTISAN VENDORS: Eat and shop from Flair’s Fayre, Sweet Treats, Pinders Picks, Nic and Luc, Natural & Raw Creations, Hani’s Mediterranean Organics, Native Conch, Counter Culture, Lulu’s Nitrogen Ice Cream, El Coco Loco

LEARN: Find out about school gardens, composting, gardening, beekeeping, kombucha, Asian vegetables and more: Redland Ahead, University of Florida/IFAS Extension, Master Gardeners, 4-H Youth Development, Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Program, Expanded Food and Nutrition Program, Florida International University Agroecology Program, Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services – Division of Plant Industry, The Education Fund’s Edible Garden Initiative, Tropical Beekeepers Association, Slow Food Miami, Dade County Farm Bureau, FIU Agrocecology, South Florida Bee Supplies, NaturalAg, FIU Agroecology Club

COOK-OFFS: On Saturday, school groups will compete using local products. On Sunday, these chefs will limited ingredients + a mystery box of locally-grown food + 3 judges = a recipe for exciting creations with the unique foods of South Florida.

Photo 1: Loren Pulitzer

Photo 2: Venoy Rogers

Photo 3: Carolina Molea

Photo 4: Johnson Teh

These chefs will use limited ingredients + a mystery box of locally grown food + 3 judges = a recipe for exciting creations with the unique foods of South Florida.

Loren Pulitzer of Simply Sharon's and FEAST Miami

Venoy Rogers, noted chef and local food proponent

Johnson Teh of Lan Pan Asian and Burrito San

Carolina Molea of The Whisk Bakery and Cafe, opening in 2017

Our esteemed judges are Wok Star Eleanor Hoh, Christine Najac of South Florida Food and Wine, Jim Stribling of Fruit and Spice Park, and Gabrielle Marewski of Paradise Farms.

You won't want to miss this exciting event – Sunday at 1pm!

Theme: Bee Awareness

Bee Aware! is the theme this year. Learn about our pollinators, so essential for many crops. The Tropical Beekeepers Association, this year's beneficiary, will be on hand to share information about beekeeping, from the hobby to the professional level.

LIVE MUSIC BOTH DAYS: a mix of bluegrass by Corn Country, and locally themed folk music by Grant Livingston.
DOOR PRIZES: Multiple door prize drawings each day. Paid admissions include a raffle ticket for a chance at some great door prizes!
TICKETS: $8 for adults and free for kids under 12. Buy tickets in advance here. At the gate, tickets $10.