It’s a little late in the season for a mango festival, but no matter, says chef Allen Susser: “We’re nuts about mangos.”
He’s part of the team behind the inaugural South Beach Mango Festival Sun., Aug. 5 at Lummus Park from 11am-7pm. The event includes live music, kids’ activities, a bakeoff, chef demos and mangos, plus jackfruit, dragon fruit, longan and avocado.
The event’s founder, Robert Lansburgh, is a mango aficionado. While there are long-running annual mango festivals elsewhere in South Florida – Fruit and Spice Park‘s Summer Fruit Festival and Mango Mania in June, and Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden’s festival in July – there were none in Miami Beach. Lansburgh tapped his longtime friend Allen Susser for help, and they got busy.
“We hope this will be good for the community and the city of Miami Beach,” says Susser. “A lot of Miami Beach residents don’t go to Fairchild.” There’s a discount for Beach residents – admission is $12, compared to $20 for all others, while kids under 7 are free.
Chef Allen Susser
The festival is aimed at locals and tourists alike, with kids’ activities – a mango-eating contest, among others – taking place earlier in the day, with more adult-focused events later in the day. Live entertainment will be provided by HyRyze, Johnny Rez and DJ Sama.
The mango festival also brings together members of the local farming and tropical fruit community, including Lyons Farms, mango expert Noris Ledesma’s Mumbai Farms, Rare Fruit Council International, Urban Oasis Project and Taste of Redland, the new local produce delivery service that will be providing many of the mangos for the event. Participanting chefs include Cindy Hutson of Ortanique on the Mile and Zest; chef Irie of Taste of the Islands; and New York’s Wenford Patrick Simpson, better known as chef Patrick. The festival will benefit Big Brothers and Big Sisters.
“It’s all about connecting the community with chefs and farmers,” says Susser.
South Beach Mango Fest
Lummus Park
12th and Ocean Dr.
Miami Beach
Buy tickets here
