The time has come for the third-annual South Beach Seafood Festival, presented by Hess Wines and hosted by Coca-Cola.

While events are happening throughout the week to showcase the great culinary talent of Miami and kick off stone crab season (tonight is a Hess Select Wine-Pairing Evening; tomorrow night is the GOYA Foods’ Cooking & Cocktails Interactive Dinner; Friday is the Chef Showdown); and Saturday is when things kick it up a notch with the all-day main festival on the sand, from 1-9pm at Seventh Street and Ocean Drive.

Chefs from some of Miami’s top restaurants, including Joe’s Stone Crab, A Fish Called Avalon, The Oceanaire Seafood Room, and CIBO, are creating a culinary paradise on the sand with over 50 menu items from which to choose. (Think: stone crabs, lobster waffle cones, steak and lobster skewers, shrimp tacos, oysters, shrimp cocktails, crab cakes, lobster mac and cheese, and more.) There will also be live music, culinary and mixology demos, a kids’ zone, and VIP benefits for the all-access guests, including the all-day Heineken Light College Football Sports Bar, the Land Rover Hospitality Village, and GOYA Culinary Pavilion featuring an all-day party. Oh, not to mention that an open bar is included in the ticket price.

The event benefits the Community Initiatives Foundation in support of the Eat Smart Campaign to fight against childhood hunger, childhood obesity, and assisting the community to find the perfect balance through nutritional awareness and individual development in Miami-Dade County.

Tickets start at $35; all food is available for purchase between $5-$10. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit sobeseafoodfest.com.

By Sherri Balefsky | Miami Editor