DEL MAR — Celebrity chefs, professional athletes and local restaurateurs will converge in North County to celebrate delicious food and spirits this September for the inaugural Del Mar Wine & Food Festival.
Tickets are now on sale for the festival, running Sept. 6-11 with over 25 events throughout coastal North County, such as tastings and dinners featuring celebrated chefs like Claudette Zepeda, Aarti Sequeira, Brian Malarkey, Drew Deckman, Eric Greenspan and Claudia Sandoval.
The event was born out of a collaboration between San Diego Magazine CEO Troy Johnson, partners at Food Network, aficionados in the event and wine-and-food industries and executives with Surf Cup Sports.
The intention, organizers said, is to celebrate the region’s culinary scene and SoCal culture with a focus on what North County has to offer.
“San Diego is the next big food and drink scene,” Johnson said. “It’s ready for the national stage, and this is us throwing it a party, showing it off, saying, ‘Holy crap, it’s really happening down here, you should come experience it and taste it and drink it in.’”
The festival starts with an opening-night party celebrating local street food, hosted by San Diego Wave FC, and culminates with a massive two-day Grand Tasting at Surf Cup Sports Park in Del Mar from Sept. 9 to 10.
Additional events will be hosted throughout the week by pro athletes and actors like pro surfer Rob Machado, future Hall of Fame NFL quarterback Drew Brees and former Breaking Bad co-stars Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston.
More information and tickets are available at delmar.wine. Prices range by event and some have options for VIP access — entry to the opening night ceremony and one-day entry to the Grand Tasting start at $225.
Early-bird discounts for certain events are available until June 15, with more events to be confirmed leading up to the festival.
