Sofia and Manolo Vergara, Brooklyn Beckham, and Ja Rule Join the Upcoming New York City Wine & Food Festival for its Seaport Debut

By: New York City Wine & Food Festival via Business Wire

September 18, 2025 at 09:30 AM EDT

Newly announced celebrity hosts, dynamic collaborations, and can’t-miss culinary events fuel anticipation for the 18th annual festival, October 15–19, now in the historic Seaport, NYC

The Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Invesco QQQ (NYCWFF) returns October 15–19 with a star-powered lineup led by Sofia and Manolo Vergara, Brooklyn Beckham, Ja Rule, and DJ CASSIDY, alongside Food Network icons Bobby Flay, Maneet Chauhan, Alex Guarnaschelli, Michael Voltaggio, and Brooke Williamson, and world-renowned chefs Jean-Georges Vongerichten, José Andrés, Alain Ducasse, Alice Waters, and Kwame Onwuachi.

For the first time, the Festival will take over the historic Seaport neighborhood, transforming Lower Manhattan into a culinary playground with more than 300 chefs, food personalities, mixologists, winemakers, and creators for five unforgettable days, all while raising funds for the Event Zero Foundation and the James Beard Foundation®.

The 2025 lineup is packed with fresh experiences for fans and food lovers alike. Highlights include the buzzworthy burger collaboration between Brooklyn Beckham and George Motz of Hamburger America, an expanded culinary demonstration schedule featuring Antonia Lofaso, Alex Guarnaschelli, Bryan and Michael Voltaggio, Brie Larson and Invesco QQQ featured talent Kwame Onwuachi and Ayesha Nurdjaja, along with a new mixology program within the Festivals dining experiences led by the city’s top bars in partnership with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits.

The Festival’s newest marquee events located in the Invesco QQQ Festival Campus in the Seaport will set the tone for the weekend. A Taste of the Tin Building, hosted by Jean-Georges Vongerichten and his protégé Gregory Gourdet, will open the Festival as a high-energy party celebrating Jean-Georges’ landmark Seaport restaurants. The Asian Night Market, co-hosted by Padma Lakshmi and Vongerichten, will serve up bold Asian street food flavors along the waterfront, while FoodieCon® will spotlight internet favorites Olivia Tiedemann, Brian Lindo, Ahmad Alzahabi as they connect with fans in person. To close the weekend in true family style, Sunday Supper hosted by Nadia Caterina Munno (@The_PastaQueen) and Mark Brucato (@lilmomozzarella) presented by Peroni will gather chefs, influencers, and festivalgoers for a celebratory Italian feast.

Beloved Festival traditions return bigger and better than ever, fueled by star power and culinary creativity. The legendary Blue Moon Burger Bash presented by Pa LaFrieda Meats once again takes center stage as the ultimate crowd-pleaser, hosted by Brooklyn Beckham and Rachael Ray, with DJ CASSIDY on the turntables, and a celebrity judging panel featuring Ja Rule, Sunny Anderson, Ana Navarro, Ben Leventhal, Olivia Tiedemann, Joshua Weissman deciding who claims burger bragging rights. Patrón Tequila presents Tacos & Tequila unites the city’s top taquerias under one roof, pairing bold bites with premium tequilas and mezcals featuring Tequila Cazadores and Illegal Mezcal, hosted by Brie Larson, Courtney McBroom, and Aarón Sánchez.

At the heart of the weekend is the Festival’s signature Grand Tasting, where guests will sip, sample, and discover the best in food and drink. This year, Sofía and Manolo Vergara will host the daytime edition, while Food Network’s Bobby Flay and Brooke Williamson lead the inaugural evening edition presented by Montchevre Goat Cheese.

Rounding out the schedule are fan-favorite experiences like Elvis Duran and Z100 Morning Show's Late Night Bites, Beats & Sweets presented by Paris Baguette, the seafood-centric Catch of the Day presented by Modelo hosted by Andrew Zimmern, and A Taste of Tomorrow, celebrating James Beard-award winning chefs. These programs, paired with a slate of intimate dining experiences hosted by world-renowned chefs, ensure that the Festival’s Seaport debut blends its iconic traditions with fresh energy and innovation.

The Festival has raised $14.8M to date, with this year's net proceeds supporting the Event Zero Foundation’s mission to inspire sustainable event practices and the James Beard Foundation’s mission to champion a more equitable, sustainable, and innovative independent restaurant industry.

Tickets for all events are available at https://nycwff.org.

Stay up to date by following the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and X using @NYCWFF and on TikTok at @NYCWineFoodFestival.

For more information, please email nycwff@thedooronline.com. Images and interviews are available upon request.

Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Invesco QQQ

The Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival is hosted by and benefits Event Zero Foundation and the James Beard Foundation. Over the past 17 years, the Festival has generated more than $14.8 million in net proceeds for its charitable causes. Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits is the exclusive provider of wine and spirits at the Festival. In November 2022, BizBash named the Festival the #1 Food & Restaurant Industry event in New York for the 10th year in a row. More information on the Festival can be found at nycwff.org. Follow @NYCWFF on Facebook, X and Instagram and on TikTok at @NYCWineFoodFestival.

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits is the world’s preeminent distributor of beverage alcohol, building brands for moments that matter. The multi-generational, family-owned Company has operations in 47 U.S. markets and Canada, as well as brokerage operations through its Southern Glazer’s Travel Retail Sales & Export Division in the Caribbean, Central and South America. In 2024, Southern Glazer’s was recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity and America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women. Southern Glazer’s urges all retail customers and adult consumers to market, sell, serve, and enjoy its products responsibly. For more information visit www.southernglazers.com. Follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram @sgwinespirits.

a21

a21 is a full-service live experience agency, specializing in event operations, production, marketing, corporate sales, and brand activations for live experiences. Founded in 2006, a21’s portfolio includes internationally recognized events and festivals in South Florida and throughout the US: Food Network South Beach & New York City Wine & Food Festivals, Sunfest, Palm Beach Wine & Food Festival, Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival, Los Angeles Wine & Food Festival, Atlanta Food & Wine Festival, Heritage Fire, and Whiskies of the World National Tours, AMP's suite of Art Fairs, International Wine & Spirits Competition and more. Learn more at https://www.teama21.com/

*Invesco is not affiliated with the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival or any of the individuals, brands or companies mentioned; nor should this be construed as an endorsement for any of the individuals, brands or companies mentioned.