A new gourmet grub and craft event billed as the Florida Festival of Flavor & Fire is headed to The Lakeland Center this summer. Bay area spicy food fans are gonna like this one.
Hundreds of artisanal hot sauce, salsa, marinades, rubs, dips and more will be available for purchase and sampling throughout the festival, hosted June 11 and 12. Picking up recipes and cooking tips along the way, the crowd will have a chance to chat with the folks behind the award-winning wares; they're set to commute from across the country to feature everything from spicy-sweet to XXX hot.
The festival's stage is also where chefs and others plan to demonstrate how to cook flavorful signature dishes.
Ticket sales for the inaugural Flavor & Fire begin at 9:30 a.m. Friday online, by phone or in-person. Admission costs $15, and children ages 12 and under are free with an adult.
According to IBIS World Industry Reports, U.S. hot sauce and fiery gourmet foods have a market of more than $1.3 billion, and 40-plus producers of these goods exist in Florida.
The festival's manager hopes this will become a longtime Lakeland showcase. Dana Romero, chairman of the Louisiana Hot Sauce Exposition Inc., is adding the event to his established festivals in Texas and Louisiana, which draw thousands of attendees and more than 100 vendors every year.
