The Caribbean Food & Wine Festival
The Caribbean Food and Wine Festival is a multi-day culinary event hosted annually in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Through a series of events, including a dinner party, a wine tasting and pairing, a brunch, and other gastronomic festivities held over several days, the Caribbean Food and Wine Festival promises delicious meals, international fine wines, and more to its attendees.
The festival typically happens in October and is hosted by Grace Bay Resorts and The Wine Cellar, the largest wine and liquor store on Providenciales. Most of the events are held on Providenciales, though the Champagne Brunch has previously taken place on Parrot Cay.
If you’re a foodie or oenophile (wine lover), the Caribbean Food and Wine Festival is the event for you. In fact, it’s received notable mentions from publications like Forbes, Lonely Planet, and Condé Nast Traveler as a Caribbean event to travel for.
The festival brings together local and international chefs, wine experts, and even a master cigar roller through its events. Some proceeds benefit the Lit’l Chefs program, an initiative that delivers culinary training to local preteens and teens in the islands’ top kitchens.
What You Can Expect
Providenciales is home to a fabulous fine dining scene offering French, Italian, Mediterranean, and Asian cuisine and more. The Caribbean Food and Wine Festival brings together a wealth of flavors prepared by local chefs and international (some Michelin-starred) chefs.
Historically, the festival has opened with a kickoff dinner held at a luxury resort featuring the creations of a top chef. The lineup of events does change from year to year, but typically includes a wine tasting, a wine luncheon for ladies, a sit-down multi-course gourmet dinner, and a brunch. Recent years have also featured an open-air local food event at Crackpot Kitchen in Grace Bay, featuring local chefs, musical artists, and a junkanoo band.
In the past, one of the most anticipated events was the Gourmet Safari, a food and cocktail crawl that allowed you to visit different restaurants and resorts for each course. However, it hasn’t been offered since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Venues for the various events have included The Palms, Grace Bay Club, The Shore Club, Amanyara, Point Grace, and Rock House.
Tickets for each event at the Caribbean Food and Wine Festival are sold separately, and have ranged from $50 to upwards of $200 in past years.
What to Bring and Other Considerations
First and foremost, bring your appetite. Tickets to the dinners aren’t cheap, so you’ll want to make the most of the food on offer at the event. If you’re attending a wine pairing, plan to make transportation arrangements ahead of time and do not drive drunk.
Tickets for Caribbean Food and Wine Festival events do sell out, so if you know you’d like to attend one of the events, purchase your ticket in advance on the festival’s website.