Kitchen And Garden Festival Starts Friday

 It's a party in the garden this weekend for the Junior League of Sarasota.

The second annual Simply Sarasota Kitchen and Garden Festival kicks off at 6 p.m. Friday at G. Wiz and continues through Sunday on the bayfront.

Partnering with , the weekend’s activities feature a Festival Marketplace on the museum grounds, offering a variety of activities including cooking and gardening classes, as well as the opportunity to shop for the latest gadgets for kitchen, garden, home and more.

Chef Paul Mattison will host a “Kids in the Kitchen” class during the event. (Parents are recommended to reserve a spot for this popular class.) Admission to the Festival Marketplace is free, with the first 2,000 guests receiving free General Admission to G.Wiz. (General Admission does not include admission to Special Exhibits or Fab Lab at G.Wiz) 

This weekend's events include:

• Friday 6 to 8 p.m.  — Kick-Off Party at G.Wiz. The Kickoff Party tickets are $25 each.

• Saturday & Sunday — Guided tours of four local dream kitchens, including food tastings provided by local chefs from Libby’s, Knicks, Morton’s, Ocean Blues, and Sangria restaurants. (Tickets are $20 and include a ticket to the Festival Marketplace)

• Saturday at 11 am,  — A celebrity luncheon with English Royal Chef and author of Eating Royally: Recipes and Remembrances from a Palace Kitchen, Darren McGrady who will provide entertaining stories from his 15 years as personal chef to Queen Elizabeth II, Diana, Princess of Wales and Princes William and Harry. Chef McGrady has chosen the lunch menu himself, including a dessert trio fit for royalty. Tickets are $75.

• Saturday at 6:30 pm, Hyatt Regency — A four course Beer Garden Dinner, which will demonstrate the art of beer and food pairings. The demonstration will take your knowledge of craft beers and why they are paired with each course to the next level. Tickets are $75.

• Sunday 11 am, — A Garden Tea Party and floral demonstration featuring acclaimed Birmingham florist Sybil Brooke Sylvester of Wildflower Designs. Sybil’s floral arrangements have been featured in numerous magazines, including Southern Living Weddings, and she will be sharing her techniques for making a floral masterpiece of your own. Tickets are $75.

To purchase tickets and RSVP to one of the seated events, contact the Junior League of Sarasota, at 941-953-5600 or online at jlsarasota.org