Don't Miss Signature Tastings At This Year's Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival Presented By Food & Wine

The eighth annual Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE (NYCWFF) returns October 15 18, 2015. With more than 100 events taking place from Wall Street to Harlem, the Festival presents a variety of ways for people to sip, swirl and savor their way through offerings from some of the world's best chefs and culinary personalities. Tickets are still available to the Festival's signature tasting events taking place at its culinary campus on Piers 92 & 94 throughout the weekend.

The 135,000-sq. ft. gourmet centerpiece at Pier 94 will house the Grand Tasting presented by ShopRite featuring Samsung Culinary Demonstrations presented by MasterCard taking place on Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18. New York's newest and best restaurants and businesses will delight attendees with their dishes, as guests sip on the most notable wines and spirits from the Southern Wine & Spirits of New York portfolio. Everyone's favorite Food Network and Cooking Channel culinary personalities and more celebrities will take to the Samsung Culinary Demonstration stages presented by MasterCard to share some of their favorite recipes with fans.The schedule for the weekend includes:

Saturday, October 17
Anne Burrell
Giada De Laurentiis
Alex Guarnaschelli
Carla Hall
Katherine Heigl
Emeril Lagasse
Masaharu Morimoto
Rachael Ray
Marcus Samuelsson
Aarn Snchez & John Besh
Tiffani Thiessen
Geoffrey Zakarian

Sunday, October 18*
Valerie Bertinelli
Bobby & Jamie Deen
Haylie Duff
Tyler Florence
Duff Goldman
Robert Irvine
Patti LaBelle
Katie Lee
Debi Mazar & Gabriele Corcos
Marc Murphy & Ted Allen
Michael Symon
Andrew Zimmern

*Guests attending the Samsung Culinary Demonstrations on Sunday, October 18 will have the chance to win one of 12 pairs of tickets being given away to the movie premiere for BURNT on Tuesday, October 20.

Its next-door neighbor, Pier 92, will transform during the weekend as the platform for five signature Festival tastings.Beginning on Thursday, October 15, the pier will offer a taste of Italy from more than 30 of the nation's best trattorias, slice-slingers and meatball shops at Giada De Laurentiis' Italian Feast presented by Ronzoni sponsored by the New York Post. On Friday, October 16 America's best burger maestros will battle it out to be crowned this year's Blue Moon People's Choice Award-winner or Pat LaFrieda's 2015 NYCWFF Burger Bash Champion at the iconic Blue Moon Burger Bash presented by Pat LaFrieda Meats hosted by Rachael Ray.Saturday, October 17 will see both a returning fan-favorite event Jets + Chefs: The Ultimate Tailgate hosted by Joe Namath & Mario Batali during the day and a new late-night party, The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown presented by Cocktail Kingdom hosted by Emeril Lagasse. The Festival will close-out with carnivorous creations from more than 25 chefs accompanied by live music and libations at Meatopia presented by Creekstone Farms hosted by Michael Symon on Sunday, October 18.

Other recognized Festival events taking place at various locations throughout New York City include: Tacos & Tequila presented by Mexico hosted by Aarn Snchez, Thrillist's Barbecue & The Blues hosted by Adam Richman, Rachael Ray's Feedback: Chefs & Cocktails part of Mohegan Sun's Late Night Party Series, Greenmarket Brunch presented by Lifeway Foods hosted by Geoffrey Zakarian and Stacked: Sandwiches & Sides hosted by Tiffani Thiessen, both part of LOCAL presented by Delta Air Lines.The cast of the hit Food Network series Chopped will decide whose Bloody Mary takes top honors in the categories of "Best Dressed," "Most Creative," and overall "Best Bloody Mary" on Sunday, October 18 at the Best Bloody Mary Brunch presented by Velocity.

Tickets to these events and more are available online at nycwff.org or by calling 866.969.2933 (phone sales open 9:00 AM 5:00 PM EST). All proceeds from the Festival benefit the hunger-relief organizations Food Bank For New York City and No Kid Hungry .

About the Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE
The Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE is hosted by and benefits Food Bank For New York City and No Kid Hungry , with 100% of the Festival's net proceeds helping fight hunger.Southern Wine & Spirits of New York is the exclusive provider of wine and spirits at the Festival. In September 2015, BizBash named the Festival the #3 Food & Restaurant Industry event in the United States for the third year in a row. More information on the Festival can be found at nycwff.org.

About Food Bank For New York City
Food Bank For New York City has been the city's major hunger-relief organization working to end hunger throughout the five boroughs for more than 30 years. Nearly one in five New Yorkers relies on Food Bank for food and other resources. Food Bank takes a strategic, multifaceted approach that provides meals and builds capacity in the neediest communities, while raising awareness and engagement among all New Yorkers. Through its network of more than 1,000 charities and schools citywide, Food Bank provides food for more than 63 million free meals for New Yorkers in need. Food Bank For New York City's income support services, including food stamps (also known as SNAP) and free tax assistance for the working poor, put more than $100 million each year into the pockets of New Yorkers, helping them to afford food and achieve greater dignity and independence. In addition, Food Bank's nutrition education programs and services empower more than 275,000 children, teens and adults to sustain a healthy diet on a low budget. To learn more about how you can help, please visit foodbanknyc.org.

About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America, but 1 in 5 kids will face hunger this year. Using proven, practical solutions, No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger today by ensuring that kids start the day with a nutritious breakfast and families learn the skills they need to shop and cook on a budget. When we all work together, we can make sure kids get the healthy food they need. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of national anti-hunger organization Share Our Strength. Join us at NoKidHungry.org.

Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia?	Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends.	Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!