In just a few weeks (February 24-28), the 15th-annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival, one of the most anticipated foodie events of the year, will welcome thousands of visitors, culinary personalities, chefs, celebrities, and more to Miami for five full days of food and wine fun. With over 75 special events, parties, dinners, cooking demonstrations, and more, it’s hard to decide which events you may want to attend. Here are five signature events you need to know about:

1. Barilla’s Italian Bites on the Beach hosted by Giada De Laurentiis
When: Thursday, February 25, 6:15-10pm
Where: PMG North Venue (Beachside at Delano)
Tickets: $150
What: Join Emmy Award-winning Food Network personality, best-selling author, and restaurateur Giada De Laurentiis on a culinary tour of authentic Italian fare as she hosts 30 of the nation’s best chefs serving up dishes originating from various regions of Italy. Expect delicious samples from Massimo Giannattasio of Cibo Wine Bar, Loris Navone of Tamarina Restaurants; Michael Pirolo of Macchialina; Todd Zimmer of Prime One Twelve and Prime Italian, and many, many more.

2. Amstel Light Burger Bash hosted by Rachael Ray
When: Friday, February 26, 7:30-10:30pm
Where: PMG North Venue (Beachside at The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach)
Tickets: $250
What: Don’t miss out on celebrating the 10th anniversary of one of SOBEFEST’s most anticipated events: the Amstel Light Burger Bash. Presented by Schweid & Sons and hosted by TV personality Rachael Ray, this year’s event will bring together the country’s leading burger maestros to compete for top honors in front of an esteemed panel of judges—David Burtka, Neil Patrick Harris, Natalie Morales, George Motz, and Marcus Samuelsson—who will decide which chef will receive the coveted Very Best Burger Award. Attendees can also cast their vote for the Amstel Light People’s Choice Award.

3. Wine Spectator’s Best of the Best
When: Friday, February 26, 7:30-10:30pm
Where: Fontainebleau Miami Beach
Tickets: $350
What: Nearly 60 acclaimed chefs gather at the iconic Fontainebleau hotel to showcase their most gourmet samplings, which are paired with over 100 wines rated 90 points or higher on Wine Spectator’s scale. Only proprietors and winemakers from each winery are invited to pour their top varietals, so you can hear about how the world’s greatest vino makes it from their vineyards to your glass. Notable chefs featured include Scott Conant of Scarpetta; Jeremy Ford of Matador Room; Benjamin Murray of Azul and Diego Oka of La Mar by Gastón Acurio, both at the Mandarin Oriental, Miami; Gregory Pugin of Palme D’Or at the Biltmore Hotel; Laurent Tourondel of BLT Steak; and Mark Zeitouni of Lido Restaurant at the Standard Spa, Miami Beach.

4. Meatopia hosted by Michael Symon
When: Saturday, February 27, 7-10pm
Where: PMG North Venue (Beachside at Delano)
Tickets: $250
What: Meatopia, presented by Creekstone Farms, was the brainchild by the late carnivorous visionary Josh Ozersky, a James Beard Award-winning food writer and longtime friend of the festival. For its second edition, the event will feature from more than 25 of the country’s greatest chefs to cook their best meat dishes low and slow over open fires, using only wood or charcoal as a base. The King of Carnivores, Michael Symon, will host this marquee affair as guests enjoy a live musical performance by Gregg Allman while sipping on cold beer and an array of brown spirits.

5 . Goya Foods Grand Tasting Village
When: Saturday, February 27 and Sunday, February 28, noon-5pm
Where: Grand Tasting Village (13th Street and Ocean Drive)
Tickets: $225 per day
What: Last, but not least, the all-day tasting extravaganzas—a culmination of SOBEFEST’s participating chefs, restaurants, beverage sponsors, and more under the MasterCard Grand Tasting Tents on the sand. In addition to sampling bold cuisine, stylish wines, and creative spirits, witness KitchenAid culinary demonstrations, your favorite cooking personalities competing on the culinary demo stages, and even a new interactive trivia game hosted by Guy Fieri. Pace yourself as you stroll through a never-ending celebration of the senses. And for the fourth year, guests will be able to vote for their favorite dishes and decide which restaurant will win the Miami New Times’ Best Bite on the Beach Award.

Don’t forget, there are dozens of other events are taking place throughout the city during the festival, so be sure to visit sobefest.com for a complete list. We hope to see you there!

—Sherri Balefsky | Miami Editor