SAVOR St. Pete is coming back to Vinoy Park for its 14th year, taking over the waterfront green space November 7-8 with a lineup that blends nationally known chefs with Tampa Bay's own culinary talent. This year's festival brings Wahlburgers' Paul Wahlberg and Fly By Jing founder Jing Gao to the San Pellegrino Cooking Stage for live cooking demonstrations, adding star power to an event that has become a fixture of the region's autumn calendar.
According to Tampa Bay 28, the festival brings together Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg culinary professionals for a weekend built around food, wine, and other tasting experiences, with guests able to enjoy unlimited tastings in the Grand Tasting Village alongside mixology experiences. Wahlberg and Gao's scheduled appearances were first detailed by The Frugalista Life, which reported that both chefs are set to perform live demonstrations on the San Pellegrino stage during the November event.
Local Chef Leads the Charge
Steering the festival's roster of participating chefs is Executive Chef Lee Aquino of Birch & Vine, the prominent Beach Drive restaurant, who serves as the 2026 SAVOR Chef Ambassador and Culinary Director, per St. Pete Life Magazine. Tampa Bay 28 also notes that the festival features new and returning local and nationally recognized chefs, with the lineup built around Aquino's leadership.
Ahead of the main event, SAVOR St. Pete introduced Savor the Bay, described by Tampa Bay 28 as a boutique dinner series that precedes the main festival, with participating chefs hosting intimate dinners at their own restaurants. Felicia LaCalle, chef of Quiote Taquileria, will host a special Savor the Bay dinner on Tuesday, October 13, the outlet reports.
Tickets and Entry Rules
Tickets for SAVOR St. Pete are on sale now through savortheburg.com, according to Tampa Bay 28. General Admission is priced at $135 plus fees and grants entry at 1 p.m., while VIP Admission runs $165 plus fees, allowing 12 p.m. early entry along with access to the VIP Spirits Lounge, per Visit St. Petersburg Clearwater. All ticket levels include unlimited food and beverage samplings, a commemorative wine glass, and a festival tote bag.
Organizers enforce a strict age policy admitting only attendees 21 and older with valid identification, and infants, children, and pets are prohibited, with exemptions limited strictly to ADA-trained service animals, according to the festival's own FAQ page on savortheburg.com. Hosting alcohol service at Vinoy Park required municipal approval: St. Petersburg City Council adopted Resolution 2024-42 in January 2024, granting SAVOR St. Pete an exemption from City Code Section 21-38(c) to permit the sale, service, and on-premises consumption of alcoholic beverages at the waterfront park during festival hours, per the City of St. Petersburg.
Charity Dollars and Growing Acclaim
Founder Tammy Gail announced a $10,000 donation from this year's festival to local breast cancer initiatives, bringing the event's cumulative charitable contributions for the cause to over $140,000, the Frugalista Life reports. Morton Plant Mease Health Care Foundation also serves as an official charity beneficiary, receiving festival proceeds to support community health initiatives aimed at mitigating chronic disease through nutrition and lifestyle education, according to the foundation.
SAVOR St. Pete was named Best Food Festival in the Bay 2025 by Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, a distinction noted by St. Pete Catalyst. The 2026 festival is also incorporating eco-friendly operations, including compostable serveware, food donation efforts, and waste reduction strategies, as detailed by the Frugalista Life.
Gail, who founded and produces SAVOR St. Pete, also operates the annual SAVOR SoFLO Food Festival on Hollywood Beach in South Florida through her production company, according to Local 10 News. As November approaches, the 14th edition of SAVOR St. Pete looks set to keep Vinoy Park humming with tastings, demonstrations, and a charitable mission that has grown alongside the festival itself.
