Food & Wine Festival set for Feb. 29

The 3rd annual Miami Lakes Food & Wine Festival -- an evening gathering for charity that attracts 1,000 guests to Optimist Park -- is set for Feb. 29.
There will be more than 30 restaurants offering tasty bites and 50 premium wines to try.
A kick-off party for sponsors, vendors and VIPs was held Oct. 7 at Shula’s Hotel and Golf Club.
Co-founder Lynn Ancel Matos, with co-founder
Giuseppe Zuozo at her side, told about 85 guests that she and the town will promote festival supporters on social media.
This year’s hashtag is #BeKindDrinkWine.
Proceeds will benefit the Miami Lakes Town Foundation, a non-profit managed by town staff that uses festival funds to provide grants to area schools.
In 2018, it funded projects at Bob Graham Education Center that celebrated girls in art and literature and paid for students who participated in choruses to travel to Orlando to perform.
At Hialeah-Miami Lakes Middle School, a foundation grant allowed students to attend a leadership program at Florida International University, the town said.
This year, the foundation awarded $15,000 to schools, said Clarisell de Cardenas, the town’s director of communications and a member of the foundation’s board.
Tickets cost $55 for general admission or $100 for VIPs, who will enjoy early entry, receive a special glass and have access to a lounge with a bubbly bar and exclusive samplings, the festival said.
Tickets may be purchased at https://mlfoodwinefest2020.eventbrite.com.