This year’s Festival will feature more than 60 events and 300 participants, including James Beard Award winners, Michelin-recognized chefs, Food Network personalities, rising culinary talents, mixologists, winemakers, content creators, and celebrities. Programming spans walk-around tastings and cocktail parties to exclusive dinners, brunches, and master classes.
For the first time, the Festival has appointed a Culinary Host: acclaimed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. He will spotlight the Seaport’s culinary community at the Tin Building and Pier 17 through special dining experiences and chef collaborations. Highlights include A Taste of the Tin Building, showcasing global flavors from its resident chefs, and A Taste of Tomorrow, an elegant evening hosted by Marcus Samuelsson with James Beard Award–winning chefs and fine wines.
Throughout the week, the Festival will feature a lineup of chef collaboration dinners, many at the James Beard House. Highlights include Alice Waters with Dan Kluger, Paul Carmichael with Kwame Onwuachi, Michael White with Andrew Zimmern, and Daniel Boulud with George Ruan, along with a once-in-a-lifetime dinner for just 12 guests with José Andrés. Eric Ripert will also host a special dinner at his three-Michelin-starred Le Bernardin.
Fan-favorite events are also returning, including Blue Moon Burger Bash, Asian Night Market hosted by Padma Lakshmi, and Caviar, Cocktails & Champagne hosted by Antonia Lofaso. The Grand Tasting will expand with a new nighttime edition hosted by Food Network stars Bobby Flay and Brooke Williamson, plus an optional VIP Experience: a steak-focused dinner at Carne Mare with Andrew Carmellini.
Sunday brings the debut of Catch of the Day, a seafood-centric feast hosted by Andrew Zimmern that pays homage to the venue’s history as the original Fulton Fish Market. “Delicious and sustainable seafood served at an incredible party is what makes this new event so amazing,” says Zimmern. “Most importantly, it is a demonstration of how topical global food issues like growing our blue economy merge with a massive weekend-long party raising money for a superb cause. Bravo to the NYCWFF team for being visionary in that regard.”
Red-sauce lovers can opt for Sunday Supper, presented by Peroni and hosted by influencers “The Pasta Queen” (Nadia Caterina Munno) and Lil Mo Mozzarella.
FoodieCon®—a curated space where social culinary creators take center stage—returns for its third year with live demos, panels, discussions, and tastings led by influencers including Olivia Tiedemann, Brian Can’t Stop Eating, Karissa Dumbacher, The Golden Balance, Cheffin with Zach, The Vegan Bubby Elle, and more.
Over the past 18 years, the Festival has raised more than $14.8 million for charitable causes. This year’s proceeds will benefit the Event Zero Foundation and the James Beard Foundation. Tickets are now on sale at nycwff.org.
“I'm excited to see everything come together at the Seaport,” says Schrager. “We’re finally bringing the Festival back to something that has a neighborhood feeling.”
