Week-long Event Raises Awareness and Monies to Support Local Independent Restaurants

Representatives of the Sarasota-Manatee Originals have announced details for the 2021 Forks & Corks Food & Wine Festival taking place April 26 through May 2, 2021. This year’s 14^th annual event has been reimagined to offer guests a menu of specially-curated and controlled experiences designed to showcase the talents of the area’s brilliant and resilient, independent food & beverage operators. In addition to wine seminars and a food stroll, a world-class Online Auction is planned as well as a schedule of “food & wine experiences” taking place at restaurants throughout Sarasota and Manatee’s Gulf-coastal communities.

With guidelines for safely gathering changing every day and COVID-19 vaccine administration underway, we made the decision to organize a very different kind of Forks & Corks experience for 2021, one that is based on the safest precautions and procedures. While we will miss gathering with convivial crowds of our Members, friends and Winemakers from around the world, and bustling from table to table in the courtyard of the Ringling Museum for the massive Grand Tasting event, we’re very excited to leverage our platform to drive people back into our local eateries at a time when they are very much in need.

The 2021 festival schedule has increased to a week to allow for expanded events and offerings:

Presented by the Sarasota-Manatee Originals, Forks & Corks is the organization’s primary annual fundraiser, bringing critical marketing dollars to the Sarasota-Manatee Originals to promote dining in local, independently-owned restaurants and encouraging locals and visitors to our area to always “Eat Like A Local.