Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival

What Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival does

The Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival is an annual four-day culinary event held in New York City, founded in 2007 and now in its 18th edition (scheduled October 15–18, 2026). It is produced by a21, an independent events agency, and operates as a private, standalone festival with no parent company. Over 18 years the festival has generated more than $14.8 million in net proceeds for charitable beneficiaries, primarily the Event Zero Foundation and, beginning in 2026, the James Beard Foundation.

The festival's core product is a curated slate of more than 50 events across four days, drawing 300-plus chefs, winemakers, mixologists, and food personalities. Programming spans tasting events, intimate dinners, demonstrations, and branded experiences, including the Invesco QQQ Festival Campus at the Seaport, the Norwegian Cruise Line Rooftop Series, and FoodieCon® — a registered trademark targeting food creators and media. Ticketing is sold directly to consumers through the festival's website, with tiered offerings such as the Grand Tasting Weekend and Sunday Funday packages, plus channel partner presales (e.g., Bank of America cardholder presale offering 25% savings). There is no proprietary technology platform; the operating stack is a standard event ticketing and sponsorship fulfillment model.

NYCWFF's business model is a dual-revenue structure combining direct-to-consumer ticket sales and corporate sponsorships. Named sponsors include Invesco QQQ (presenting sponsor), Bank of America (official bank), Food Network (title sponsor), Norwegian Cruise Line, Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, United Airlines, and Seaport Entertainment Group. The go-to-market motion is event-driven and annually recurring, with sponsorship renewals, package bundling, and a growing trade/creator-events segment expanding the addressable customer base beyond traditional festival attendees.

Name

Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival

Legal name

Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival

Website

https://nycwff.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival is an annual four-day culinary event in New York City featuring 50-plus events and 300-plus chefs, winemakers, and mixologists, serving food and wine enthusiasts via consumer ticket sales and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Culinary Festival & Food & Beverage Events

NAICS

Food Service Contractors (722310), Caterers (72232), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAGAFAE

Food, Wine & Beverage Festivals/Expos

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Exhibitions, Fairs & Expos (Consumer/Public)

SECONDARYTHAJAGAL

Food Festivals & Culinary Events (Ticketed Tastings, Pop-ups)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Food & Drink Experiences (Culinary Tours, Tastings, Cooking Classes)

SECONDARYTHAHABAI

Food, Beverage & Hospitality Trade Shows Organizers

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Exhibition & Trade Show Organizers

SECONDARYMPAGAHAE

Gala Dinners & Fundraising Events (Nonprofit/CSR)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Corporate & Private Events (Galas, Product Launches)

SECONDARYMPAGAGAK

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Conventions & Conferences (Business Events)

Keywords

• Culinary festival events
• Wine and food tastings
• Celebrity chef experiences
• Event ticketing services
• Corporate sponsorship activations

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Direct consumer ticket sales for individual events, dining experiences, tastings, and packages across the 4-day festival.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship revenue from Presenting Partner Invesco QQQ, Official Bank Bank of America, and other brand partners including Norwegian Cruise Line, Southern Glazers, and Food Network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NYCWFF is an annual 4-day culinary festival in New York City (October 15-18, 2026) that sells consumer tickets to 50+ tasting, dining, demonstration, cocktail and rooftop events featuring 300+ celebrity chefs and Food Network personalities. It also generates revenue from corporate sponsorships (Presenting Partner Invesco QQQ, Official Bank Bank of America, and others) and directs net proceeds to charitable partners Event Zero Foundation and James Beard Foundation.

Product overview

Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival (NYCWFF) is New York City's premier wine and food festival running October 15-18, 2026. The festival is a platform-plus-events architecture consisting of multiple distinct event series: Grand Tasting & Culinary Demos (the flagship event featuring Food Network stars and NYC's top bites), Dining Experiences (20+ intimate chef-hosted dinners), the Norwegian Cruise Line Rooftop Series (Pier 17 rooftop events with skyline views), Walk-Around Tastings (themed all-inclusive tasting events), Cocktail Parties (spirits and wine sampling), FoodieCon (culinary creator meetups), Brunches & Lunches, Trade (industry-exclusive events), and Package bundles. The festival also offers Bank of America cardholder exclusive access with early entry and discounts. Talent programming features 300+ celebrated chefs, Food Network personalities, winemakers, mixologists and culinary creators. The festival benefits the Event Zero Foundation and James Beard Foundation, having raised over $14.8 million for charitable causes over 18 years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grand Tasting & Culinary Demos NYCWFF's largest signature event featuring Food Network stars, wine, spirits, and New York City's top culinary establishments with live cooking demonstrations.
• Dining Experiences Over 20 unique intimate dining experiences hosted by world-renowned chefs featuring multi-course meals and culinary collaborations.
• Norwegian Cruise Line Rooftop Series Live music, skyline views and unforgettable nights at Pier 17 Rooftop in the Seaport featuring food and entertainment pairings.
• Invesco QQQ Festival Campus in the Seaport Home to NYCWFF's signature events, located at the Seaport district featuring iconic skyline views and Pier 17 Rooftop access.
• Walk-Around Tastings Themed all-inclusive tasting events where attendees taste, sip and savor through multiple food and beverage stations.
• Cocktail Parties Sip and sample events featuring today's most delicious cocktails, wine and spirits, plus non-alcoholic options.
• FoodieCon Meet the culinary creators taking over social media feeds, featuring digital food content creators and influencers.
• Brunches & Lunches Mid-day feasts featuring weekend indulgence with curated brunch and lunch experiences.
• Trade Events Invitation-only events exclusive to the culinary and beverage industry for professional networking and trade purposes.
• Packages Curated ticket bundles and deals including the Grand Tasting Weekend Package, Sunday Funday Package, and Build Your Own Package options offering savings on multiple events.
• Bank of America Cardholder Access Exclusive events, 30-minute early entry, 15% discount to Grand Tasting, and premier tier dining access for eligible Bank of America cardholders.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Event Zero FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit beneficiary organization dedicated to fostering positive environmental and social impact within the events industry. The festival is hosted by and benefiting Event Zero Foundation, which promotes sustainable event practices.
• James Beard FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeneficiary organization dedicated to building a vibrant, equitable and sustainably independent restaurant industry. The James Beard Foundation is a cornerstone of American food culture, community and economy.
• Invesco QQQflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting Partner and Official ETF sponsor. The Invesco QQQ Festival Campus in the Seaport is home to NYCWFF's signature events, featuring Pier 17 Rooftop with iconic skyline views.
• Food NetworkflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle Presenting Partner, leveraging the Food Network brand and celebrity chef talent for festival promotion and event hosting.
• Bank of AmericaflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Bank sponsor offering exclusive cardholder presale access with 25% savings and exclusive events including early entry to signature events and 15% discount to Grand Tasting.
• Norwegian Cruise LinecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRooftop Series sponsor featuring live music, skyline views and unforgettable nights at Pier 17 Rooftop in the Seaport. Multiple events hosted including Steak & Whiskey, New York After Dark, and Blue Moon Burger Bash.
• Southern Glazers Wine & SpiritscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerExclusive Provider of Wine and Spirits for the festival, powering the beverage program across all tasting and dining events.
• United AirlinescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Airline sponsor, facilitating travel for out-of-town attendees and talent.
• Seaport Entertainment GroupcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Hospitality Partner, providing the Seaport district venue including Pier 17 Rooftop as the Festival Campus location.
• The Wall Street HotelminorOthersHeadquarter Hotel partner providing accommodation for festival talent and VIP guests.
• Manhattan BeerminorOthersBeer and water distributor supplying beverages across festival events.
• New York PostminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier media partner providing press coverage and promotional visibility.
• ModelominorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeer sponsor featured at events including Oyster Bash presented by Modelo hosted by Andrew Zimmern.
• Pat LaFriedaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMeat supplier and sponsor of signature events including Blue Moon Burger Bash presented by Pat LaFrieda Meats.
• Coca-ColaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeverage sponsor providing non-alcoholic options across festival events.
• CurbminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTransportation partner for rideshare/taxi services to and from festival events.
• FairwayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrocery sponsor providing food products and promotional support.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Feast Portland: Feast Portland is a multi-day food and drink festival featuring grand tastings, chef dinners, and industry panels, sharing NYCWFF's tastings-plus-dining programming format and charitable mission.
• Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival: LA Food & Wine is a major-market culinary festival featuring celebrity chefs, grand tastings, and luxury dining events, directly comparable to NYCWFF as a tier-one U.S. culinary festival.
• Atlanta Food & Wine Festival: Atlanta Food & Wine Festival is a multi-day regional culinary event featuring celebrity chefs, tasting tents, and learning sessions, comparable to NYCWFF in event format and audience targeting.
• New Orleans Wine & Food Experience (NOWFE): NOWFE is a long-running annual wine and food festival in New Orleans with grand tastings, celebrity chef events, and charitable beneficiaries, sharing NYCWFF's nonprofit fundraising and tasting-event architecture.
• Food & Wine Classic in Aspen: Hosted by Food & Wine magazine, the Aspen Classic is a flagship U.S. culinary festival with grand tastings, cooking demos, and celebrity chef programming, mirroring NYCWFF's Food Network co-branded event format.
• Charleston Wine + Food Festival: Charleston Wine + Food is a multi-day culinary festival with celebrity chef dinners, tastings, and beverage programming, directly comparable in event architecture to NYCWFF and competing for the same chef talent pool.
• South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF): SOBEWFF is the closest direct peer to NYCWFF: an annual, multi-day wine and food festival featuring celebrity chef appearances, tasting events, and charitable fundraising. It runs in Miami Beach each February with a comparable talent-driven, sponsorship-supported model.
• Pebble Beach Food & Wine: Pebble Beach Food & Wine is a premium culinary festival featuring celebrity chefs, grand tastings, and intimate dining experiences, closely aligned with NYCWFF's luxury tasting-and-dining event mix.

Others

• a21 (production company): a21 is the production company that produces NYCWFF; understanding a21's broader festival/event portfolio provides context on operational scale, cost structure, and sister-festival opportunities comparable to NYCWFF.

Broad incumbents

• Food Network Magazine / Discovery (parent brand association): Food Network is NYCWFF's Title Presenting Partner and operates a broad portfolio of food media, competitions, and culinary content — adjacent to NYCWFF's brand and talent ecosystem and the natural strategic acquirer or licensor of the festival.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nycwff
• Facebookfacebook.com/NYCWFF
• Instagraminstagram.com/nycwff
• TikToktiktok.com/@nycwinefoodfestival
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/food-network-new-york-city-wine-&-food-festival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival