KEY WEST, Florida Keys — Food and wine enthusiasts can savor sunshine, standout dishes and stellar vintages during the second annual Key West Food and Wine Festival, set for Thursday through Sunday, Jan. 27-30.

Scheduled events showcase local chefs’ culinary flair, indigenous Florida Keys ingredients, premium wines from around the world and offbeat “foodie” fun like bowling with coconuts.

The enticing “first course” is a barefoot evening beach party Thursday, Jan. 27, featuring island cuisine, wine and music beside the Atlantic Ocean at the Southernmost Beach Café.

“Entree” highlights include a grand wine tasting at former president Harry Truman’s restored Little White House, now Florida’s only presidential museum, pairing fine wines with entertainment by Key West Symphony musicians.

Festival attendees can find a mile of temptations at Duval Uncorked, a stroll down Key West’s renowned Duval Street from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic, with appetizing forays into restaurants, bars, galleries and boutiques.

Shrimp fanciers can feast at the Seafood Shakedown, a culinary competition spotlighting the Florida Keys’ prized pink shrimp and other seafood. After attendees taste and judge contestants’ dishes, the winner earns the title of Shrimp King or Queen.

The festival of flavors also features a wacky afternoon of coconut bowling and sampling coconut treats at Blue Heaven Restaurant in historic Bahama Village, a traditional Key West shrimp boil at the funky Hogfish Bar & Grill beside the shrimp docks and a “bubbles and madness” champagne brunch at Azur Restaurant.

Additional festival menu items include an outdoor wine market, informative food and wine seminars, the Master Chef’s Classic and neighborhood wine strolls.

Exclusive VIP passes are available covering admission to multiple festival events, or attendees can purchase tickets for individual events.

Festival information: www.keywestfoodandwinefestival.com
Key West visitors information: www.fla-keys.com/keywest or 1-800-LAST-KEY
Social: www.facebook.com/floridakeysandkeywest · twitter.com/thefloridakeys

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