The St. Augustine Spanish Food and Wine Festival has a distinguished reputation for benefiting local charities. Since the festival began, more than $380,000 has been donated. This year’s local organization is Flagler College’s Hospitality and Tourism Management Program. This program is career-focused, offers a complimentary blend of hospitality and business, and is structured around the practical application of hospitality and tourism business principles.

The festival is driven by the mission to connect St. Augustine to our city’s Spanish history through a series of special events that feature Spanish wine, cuisine, and culture.

The Festival will begin with Tapas, Wine, and Spirits on February 24th from 6–8 PM at the Lightner Museum Radzinksi Family Garden.

The Cava Reception and Wine Pairing Dinner will take place on February 25th from 6-10 PM at the Flagler College Solarium.

The festival will conclude on February 26th with a Grand Tasting held at the Flagler College Markland House, Crisp-Ellert Art Museum, and Alumni House from 2-5 PM

At its core, the festival is designed to promote St. Augustine as the Spanish Wine Capitol of America and to facilitate historical-destination tourism. Through planning, organizing, and executing the events, Flagler College students gain real-world experience to bridge the gap between classroom learning and industry execution.

Students will play a critical role in facilitating this year’s festival under the leadership of locally renowned chefs, restaurant owners, hotel and business owners, industry professionals, and Director of the Hospitality & Tourism Management Program, David Rivera.

Proceeds from this year’s festival will help support our future hospitality industry leaders. “The funds raised from this event are vital to student growth as they will allow students to engage in professional development that may otherwise be out of reach due to cost,” said David Rivera.

This is a ticketed event. Visit https://www.spanishwinefestival.com for more information or to purchase tickets.