Forks & Corks Food and Wine Festival is hosted by the Sarasota-Manatee Originals and is our organization’s primary annual fundraiser, bringing critical marketing dollars to promote dining in local, independently-owned restaurants and encouraging locals and visitors to our area to always “Eat Like A Local.”
For each of the last 13 years, the Sarasota-Manatee Originals have proudly presented the Forks & Corks Food and Wine Festival in celebration and support of our area’s independent restaurant community.
Approaching the 14th year of Forks & Corks festival events, 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.
This spring, Forks & Corks will offer guests a menu of specially-curated and controlled offerings and events designed to boost community engagement while highlighting the talents of our area’s brilliant and resilient food & beverage scene.
In lieu of the Grand Tasting, the Sarasota-Manatee Originals will host an Online Auction beginning Monday, April 26 through Sunday, May 2. The funds raised from the Forks & Corks Online Auction are dedicated to promoting and sustaining the over 60 local independent area restaurants that are members of our organization.
The pandemic has had a profound impact on the hospitality industry on a global scale. Our Member Restaurants have emerged as leaders, setting the standard for safety protocols, providing food and other resources to their community in need and pivoting continuously to best meet customer demand. Our regional independent restaurants are a strong community of professionals who work together, not just in times of need, but in the individual challenges that we all face daily.
