Five food and drink events, ranging from waterfront drinking to backyard beekeeping, for your weekend.
Make the drive to celebrate all things vino at the ninth annual Wine Festival of Central Florida. From 6:30 to 10 p.m. Friday at the Lake Mirror Promenade, the Lakeland fest will serve up more than 125 wines, as well as liquor tastings and craft beer. Guests may also enjoy gourmet bites from 25-plus chefs and live entertainment. The event's proceeds will benefit Alliance for Independence. $60. 121 S. Lake Ave., Lakeland.
For more fun between 6 and 10 p.m. Friday, check out Brews and Bites at the 360-degree Sail Pavilion in downtown Tampa. Grub from local food trucks will be available alongside The Sail's specialty suds and live music. Free, money for food and beer. 333 S. Franklin St., Tampa, 813-274-8420.
Discover what's buzzin' at Sarasota's Sweetgrass Farms between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday. The inaugural Honey Bee Festival will highlight educational booths, where topics like gardening and backyard beekeeping are planned. Festgoers may sample local raw honey and gourmet bites from on-site vendors, too. Grown-ups donning bee costumes will score free entry. $5 for adults, free for kids. 8350 Carolina St., Sarasota, 941-400-4998.
An evening of intimate music and beat poetry will honor the spirit of writer Jack Kerouac at St. Petersburg's Flamingo Sports Bar starting at 7 p.m. Saturday. Sip and listen to special guests like Tim Dorsey, Brad Morewood St. Pete Beat Poets, Geri X and Ronny Elliott throughout the celebration. 1230 Ninth St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-821-9397.
Then, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, indulge at the 3rd Annual Mac & Cheese Cook-Off at the Seminole Heights Sunday Morning Market. Ten local cooks are set to battle it out for the title of "Best Mac and Cheese in Seminole Heights." Nontraditional ingredients will be encouraged, and the crowd will determine who takes home the People's Choice award. Expect live tunes to be pumping during the competition. $10. 5000 N. Central Ave., Tampa.
This article appears in Mar 10-16, 2016.