Get ready for a taste bud tantalizing journey as we welcome Kim, the brilliant mind behind the Downtown Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. Today, we're about to uncover all the delicious details about this exciting gastronomic event, right from the impressive line-up of vendors to the vibrant new waterfront venue. Imagine over 70 tents, 15 breweries, 4 bourbons, 5 champagnes, 30 wine and spirit vendors, 9 live cooking shows, 30 restaurants, and live art shows - it's a sensory extravaganza that you wouldn't want to miss!
As we chat with Kim, you'll get a virtual tour of this year's festival layout, navigating the thrilling waterfront, the bustling beer garden, the VIP tent, and the promenade. Don't forget about the essential details that Kim sheds light on - ride-sharing options, the quantity of alcohol to be poured, and the limited tickets available. Brace yourself for an unforgettable feast of sights, sounds, and flavors at the Downtown Melbourne Food & Wine Festival.
Moreover, our conversation with Kim extends beyond the Food & Wine Festival. She emphasizes the significant impact of this annual event on the local community, from securing funding from the City of Melbourne’s CRA for a comprehensive streetscaping project, to fostering a sense of community. She emphasizes the significant impact of this annual event on the local community, from funding the city's streetscaping project to fostering a sense of community. We also explore exciting topics like downtown development, residential density, and the strategic plans for the future of the Festival. So, pull up a chair, pour yourself a glass of wine, and savor every juicy detail about the Downtown Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. This episode is surely a feast for your ears!
Follow us on Instagram @spacecoastpodcast
Sponsor this show
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Get ready for a taste bud tantalizing journey as we welcome Kim, the brilliant mind behind the Downtown Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. Today, we're about to uncover all the delicious details about this exciting gastronomic event, right from the impressive line-up of vendors to the vibrant new waterfront venue. Imagine over 70 tents, 15 breweries, 4 bourbons, 5 champagnes, 30 wine and spirit vendors, 9 live cooking shows, 30 restaurants, and live art shows - it's a sensory extravaganza that you wouldn't want to miss!
As we chat with Kim, you'll get a virtual tour of this year's festival layout, navigating the thrilling waterfront, the bustling beer garden, the VIP tent, and the promenade. Don't forget about the essential details that Kim sheds light on - ride-sharing options, the quantity of alcohol to be poured, and the limited tickets available. Brace yourself for an unforgettable feast of sights, sounds, and flavors at the Downtown Melbourne Food & Wine Festival.
Moreover, our conversation with Kim extends beyond the Food & Wine Festival. She emphasizes the significant impact of this annual event on the local community, from securing funding from the City of Melbourne’s CRA for a comprehensive streetscaping project, to fostering a sense of community. She emphasizes the significant impact of this annual event on the local community, from funding the city's streetscaping project to fostering a sense of community. We also explore exciting topics like downtown development, residential density, and the strategic plans for the future of the Festival. So, pull up a chair, pour yourself a glass of wine, and savor every juicy detail about the Downtown Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. This episode is surely a feast for your ears!
Follow us on Instagram @spacecoastpodcast
Sponsor this show
Want to watch our shows? https://youtube.com/@spacecoastpodcast
Alright, welcome. This is another episode of Space Coast Eats. I am Jesse, and with me, with Vibe and Dine, is Katie, the co-host. How are you, katie?
Speaker 2:Good morning everybody.
Speaker 1:So again, we are the delicious podcast. You can find us on Instagram the space underscore, coast underscore eats.
Speaker 2:So delicious, it's a delicious podcast.
Speaker 1:Today in the studio we welcome Kim. She is with downtown Melbourne and all episodes You're going to learn everything you need to know. A deep dive into everything. Downtown Melbourne, food, wine, fest 2023. Coming up in like what? A couple weeks, not even.
Speaker 2:It's like soon.
Speaker 2:Nine days away. I mean, the thing is, everyone wants to know what's happening in downtown Melbourne on a regular basis, right Like, what is a new restaurant opening up? What do they have to offer? But then, once a year for those people who don't know everyone comes together, including the rest of the surrounding communities, cocoa Beach, all of these big areas to really celebrate downtown Melbourne at the Food Wine Festival, which is happening next weekend, guys. So we're going to give you the inside scoop of what you can expect with the number one lady here who's setting it all up, ms Kim. So thank you for being here.
Speaker 3:I'm so happy to be here. I love talking about the downtown Melbourne Food Wine Festival and everything downtown Melbourne People are stoked about it.
Speaker 2:There's a buzz around town, that's for sure, and this one's big because you've changed the venue. And I mean, if there's one thing that's bigger than downtown Melbourne, which very little is, it's waterfront. Yes, and you are marrying Kim, waterfront with downtown Melbourne. Can you tell us more about that?
Speaker 3:Yeah, we're super excited to have the new location on Melbourne Avenue, at the promenade and in front of the harbor, where all the boats are in the waterfront and just so elated it is. One of our main strategies is to connect downtown Melbourne with the waterfront. It's one block off of New Haven Avenue and it is an exceptional area to be in, and we think that this is just going to be the perfect backdrop for this year's event With the lights the entertainment, the food right in front of the water.
Speaker 2:Are you kidding me? Yeah, so in addition to that, I wrote down some numbers. So we were sitting here with Kim for a few minutes before we went live here and I wrote down some numbers and I have so many sheets. Look at all these sheets. This is how much is happening next weekend. So here we go. Tell me where what I have wrong. We have here the numbers, folks. We have a beer garden with 15 breweries. We have more than 70 tents, two waterfront stages, four bourbons, five champagnes, 30 wine and spirit vendors that's ridiculous. Nine live cooking shows, 30 restaurants that are representing seafood, wild gourmet sandwiches. Italian like Chequan's gonna be there, guys, I mean geez. Two live art shows. So there's a live mural that is gonna be painted, I mean, and that's what are you charging for that?
Speaker 3:a hundred bucks a head for all of that, all inclusive it gets you in, that's so nuts and you can taste every single thing that's there. That's a huge value.
Speaker 2:Good luck going out and eating literally two entrees and a beer for a hundred bucks and you're gonna have 70 tents and two live shows and mural paintings and maybe some other surprises.
Speaker 3:Yes, definitely some other surprises. Yeah, that's insane, that's huge, and we also are gonna have a tribute from our main stage band to veterans, because it is Veterans Day Exactly, and so it's the perfect time to pay tribute to the service that they've provided to our country.
Speaker 2:So, calling all veterans, let's celebrate you a little extra next week.
Speaker 3:We're gonna be ready for that.
Speaker 2:We're gonna cheers to you next week Absolutely Pretty hard Yep, so maybe we have the website pulled up here, jesse.
Speaker 1:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Do you wanna just give a little overview, kim, of what people can expect like break down these numbers? I just went over yeah.
Speaker 3:So the first thing you wanna know is that there's definitely 30 different restaurants and we have everything from seafood to different kinds of meats, to tacos, to fusion food and Asian and desserts and all different kinds of food you can imagine. We do have some. I think there's at least one vegetarian dish that's coming, but it is just unbelievable the menus that are coming in from the restaurants right now. These guys are competing for Best Bite and then all the beverage providers are competing for Best Drink, so they're bringing it.
Speaker 2:They are just bringing their second level stuff. Yeah, you wanna win.
Speaker 3:And we have past winners like Shaquon has won in the past, so I'm sure that they're gonna be vying for that coveted board one more time.
Speaker 2:It has to hurt more to win it once and then lose the following.
Speaker 3:That has to hurt a little bit extra.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I know it's very competitive, right. I mean they're trying to bring their best and they deliver every year.
Speaker 2:There's a lot of undertone passion to bring some really great. I mean, we already have some unbelievable dining and experiences around Brevard, but there is some unbelievable talent that's just kind of sitting there ready to make it explode, and this is the perfect venue for them to show off.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and on the screen here. I don't know if Jesse can show this, but this is showing you all the food vendors. I think we had a couple more come in so this will be updated today, but you can see the downtown businesses that are gonna be. There are like Crush 11. Chumleys is coming in for the first time with their world famous wings. They're phenomenal. Cuego and Salt is downtown at the old Nomad location and they are really good and super creative. The landing at Rooftop they said they're bringing it. They're going for Best Bite pretty hard.
Speaker 2:And you know what I believe them? Yeah, I believe them.
Speaker 3:And then the Rooftop Tavern. We're so glad to have them back. Fiesta is coming and Megomallies of course. It would not be the Food and Wine Festival without our iconic Megomallies and then Pub Americana and so, but you can see there's 30 restaurants are all listed here. We've got Tapped Sauce coming.
Speaker 3:They're a sauce company that's gonna be doing some really special things with their food, with their sauces and kind of coupling that together. So people are getting really creative. And then we've got desserts. We have like Nothing. Bundt Cake is coming, Mad Cookies I know Alligator Reef is actually doing a dessert with a cocktail pairing.
Speaker 2:So they did great last year too when I went by they had some. That was their first time. Yeah, and they did them. Yeah, they had just I don't even think they were open, they weren't. So that was they were right before. They were really stressed, I know, but they were really great.
Speaker 3:And then we've got the alibi coming from Cookabeech. I don't know if anybody's been there, but it is exceptional.
Speaker 3:Keep on love the alibi, the atmosphere is great and their bites are amazing, so they're all bringing it. I mean everything that we're doing. Marker 99's coming. They've got a really good dish that they're bringing, like all of these people, and a big shout out to Cisco, who is our presenting sponsor, who is actually supporting all of these restaurants financially so that they can participate in the Food and Wine Festival, and they've got a big, big contribution to this event and they're gonna be on the footprint too with some of their food products.
Speaker 2:They put a lot out there for our community. They do so. We need to show them some love for sure. Very, very committed to our community. I wish we could tell you guys the numbers, but they gave a lot to our community.
Speaker 3:These are actual photos from the restaurants.
Speaker 1:Oh, let me go back.
Speaker 3:Oh, that went. Sorry, we went away from that, but these are some of the restaurants photos that are gonna be participating and you can see they're all bringing their game. And so we have 15 breweries we do I have to give a shout out to Ronnie Chabot, who has been working with us. He started working with us last year and he personally invited every single one of these and we couldn't be more excited to have such a robust, unique breweries. A lot of these aren't even from here and they're coming in for this event.
Speaker 2:In a full-fledged beer garden, like lining both sides of the street.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, it's gonna be great. It's gonna be right under the US-1 Overpass in between the Harbor and the Promenade. It's gonna be really cool in there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're gonna do a virtual tour here soon. Yeah, it's gonna be really and walk through the whole venue I'm really excited about this.
Speaker 3:We're about to be so proud of our town. Yeah, and Helen Blazes will be there in the Kagan and Co A little super cool little truck that has the taps in it and that'll be really neat for people to see too Dirty oars coming. Yeah.
Speaker 2:And then you let's talk about your four bourbons. There's some real bourbon lovers out there Yep 30 wine and spirit vendors.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we've got tequila. We've got bamboo rum two different types of rum that you'll be tasting. We'll also have some batch cocktails that some of the liquors being batched with, so you can actually kind of see Ghost tequila, who won Best Drink last year, is coming back and I'm certain that they're gonna bring it. It was delicious. Ghost tequila's got a little bite to it and it's really good.
Speaker 2:Oh, I'm excited to taste it. And how about these live cooking shows?
Speaker 3:Yeah, we have a lot of people that are cooking live this year. So at the ends of the tent spans some of the tent spans are about 100 feet and on each of the ends, for safety purposes and fire, they'll be cooking outside the tent. That's right, and so I can't wait to see that. That's usually really exciting for people to watch those dishes come to life 100%.
Speaker 2:And I think that's so. I mean the food quality is you have top-notch food vendors, you have top-notch drink vendors and then just the entertainment. I think what blew me away and when I posted, you know, I went to it with my husband and I walked around it was our little date night. It was the best. You guys, you're always looking for date nights. I'm always getting these questions online when do I take my wife for date night? Where do I take my husband for date night? This is your date night because you have all kinds of shows in front of you. You're eating any kind of food, drinking any kind of beverage you want and the music Like that is what the live performances and seeing the community come together and just have a blast.
Speaker 2:We're bringing it this year, yeah so can we talk about that a little bit we?
Speaker 3:can talk about that a lot. Okay, let's talk about it. So we've got a seven piece band with horns and female singers on our main stage, which will be in front of the promenade, and then we have a secondary band that will be in front of the marina, near the East entrance, near Front Street. So they are gonna get you on your feet and it's gonna keep the festival going. So it's always such a good time. You said seven piece band, yeah, that's a lot of noise.
Speaker 2:That's like, yeah, it's good noise, the beautiful one. The boulefee scenario is what you call, something like that. I think that's all they had.
Speaker 3:I think that was a max, yeah, or maybe that's all I could afford. I don't know.
Speaker 1:I think the stages are limited to amount of people that go. Oh my God, there's a weight limit or something. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Which, kim, you said something there that says all we can afford. You guys invested a lot into making this a top notch experience. I think that from everything you're sharing, first off from last year, everyone raved about how that was executed and what they showed this seems to be leveling up to a whole other place. Yes, I agree, and it's because of investments that you made to make it that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we want the experience to not only be for our ticket holders and our sponsors to be top notch and one of the best in the county, but we also want that for our vendors, and so we spend a lot of time taking care of those vendors, providing their tents and their tables and their linens and all the products they need to serve napkins and forks and plates and all that stuff is part of their package for providing the bites for the community. And it's really about celebrating taste and all the different things that come with that. And I think downtown Melbourne, with over 40 places to eat and drink, we are the centerpiece in the county for taste and it is something that we really cherish, totally agree and really want to push out to the community and make sure that they're aware that we honor that and we honor this industry and they really come and they bring it. They do.
Speaker 2:I think that I have these mixed feelings because I moved here 11 years ago and it was like the best thing that ever happened to me that you don't want to tell anyone else about because it's just so good, Like I don't need other people to come here and see this, Like let me roll around in this. And downtown Melbourne is another one of those secret gems, and I do think that we're on the cusp of you kept saying the county, the county. To be honest, it's about to be on the map for this date. I think that you know in a much, much bigger way, and it deserves to be.
Speaker 3:Well, thank you. Yeah, Thank you. It's just Erin Schuck and I she's our events manager that execute this event. There's just two of us that work at Milver Main Street.
Speaker 2:So you sleep well at night. What happens when your head hits your pillow. We just pass out, you know.
Speaker 3:We're on adrenaline now, though, for it's official.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sponsored by Celsius and Red Bull.
Speaker 2:You guys can't see this. She has an IV of caffeine that's shooting in her back you know one of us drink caffeine.
Speaker 3:You wouldn't want that or spastic to begin with.
Speaker 1:Oh no.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you don't want that, Got it got it. Yeah, we just go hard and we both love what we do and giving back to the community as a big piece of the driver for us.
Speaker 2:You're definitely doing that. So Jesse has pulled up the map here. So exciting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're going to take a virtual tour because it is a new venue.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, it's beautiful Waterfront. It's a waterfront. You're going to see the water. You're going to see the harbor.
Speaker 1:So, kim, do us an honors. This is one of the entrances. This will be the East entrance.
Speaker 3:That's the back entrance to Ichabod's there.
Speaker 1:Yep, so Ichabod's Oxide Chart House.
Speaker 3:And listen, I got to say this. We're pretty much going to say this for every other minute from this point out, but you need to ride, share you need to get dragged off.
Speaker 2:Ride share, ride share.
Speaker 3:The amount of alcohol that will be served on the footprint 100%. If you think you're not going to drink too much, I promise that you will.
Speaker 2:if you're going to try to taste its one ounce pours and all the different, but there's too much and who wants to drive anyway, like who wants to handle where you're parking and how you're getting around, just get dropped off. Where you want to go, just drop off. Lift Uber. You can drop off here or you can drop off for the other side, and we'll talk about that.
Speaker 3:When we get to the other side. This will be the first entrance. You will get your wristband, you'll get your ID checked and then you'll get your wristband, and then you'll get your tasting glass. I should have brought a tasting glass today. It's an actual glass, smaller size, wine glass, and that's where all your tastes will be, and so, yeah, it's super cool. So you have that commemorative glass also when you leave. So, and then we have this park also, so there'll be some places just to hang out If you just want to listen to the band and watch the people. People watching is really cool at this event. The tents will be lined on each side of Melbourne Avenue, so we're going to just keep going.
Speaker 3:There'll be a band about right here. Mangrove will be playing right here, right where that dog is. Yeah.
Speaker 2:That little dog.
Speaker 3:And then Infinity of Melbourne will have cars on the footprint too, so I can't wait to see their luxury vehicles there and appreciate all of their support. And so we'll keep going down, and then you'll hit this, and this is where the beer garden will be, underneath the US. One overpass and you'll be able to get into all this lawn on the right hand side too, if you just want to hang out. And we're going through, you see the murals all underneath there, which is kind of they're a really long time.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah one of them. I think I'm pretty sure this was Melbourne Main Street too, when they launched the whole Muriel project before. I was there and People. You can see the different businesses and stuff that actually purchased a mural on the poles.
Speaker 2:It's really cool. That is so fun.
Speaker 1:It'll see shelter bottom yeah stupid.
Speaker 2:I never saw these two feet.
Speaker 3:So we'll go up here a little bit and then on the right, inside this lot, the second entrance beyond those barricades, if on the right will be, our VIP tent will be in there. So that's for all of our sponsors. It'll be actually the next one. I always get this wrong. It'll be in there. Yeah, on the right hand side VIP will be right there.
Speaker 3:Right there nice and then we want to get back up on the street, will come a little bit and see that, so An axe throwing will be on the left, and then we go up a little bit further and then all that will be tents, hundred span tents and smaller, smaller tents, that people will be cooking and doing all stuff. And then on the right side you'll see the band about right here, about right Right there.
Speaker 2:I mean you're practically in the water. Forget waterfront.
Speaker 3:And what's really neat, if we could go to the promenade, if you can see that really well. So you see, all of this space will be activated, so we'll have high-top tables and places to sit and there's benches there you can really take in all of the ambiance of the waterfront. And I'm not sure manatees come out at night, but I don't know where they go.
Speaker 1:I never sleep.
Speaker 3:I don't know. We'll have to call them in a manatee call, yeah, and then so tents on both sides of the street. So you are not gonna want for Things to taste. I love that you're doing it there, kim.
Speaker 2:I love that you're doing it there.
Speaker 3:It's gonna be really exciting, and so we'll have another entrance. It's right underneath this, oh, a little bit too far. Yep, right underneath here will be our second entrance. So check your ID, got your wristband, got your glass and go have some fun, are?
Speaker 1:you guys sold yet I'm so excited we do have limited tickets available.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I bet you do.
Speaker 1:They gotta be going quick, they gotta be going when you're that filled with vendors.
Speaker 3:There's not that much I know For sure, and the weather looks really good too.
Speaker 1:You know, is it? Yeah, we watch the weather right all the time. It looks really good and listen.
Speaker 3:This is a casual event. Come as you are. Yeah, you can, there's a lot of walking, I mean it's not that far. No, but you see, but you know, I don't suggest you wear high heels and a sparkly dress.
Speaker 2:It's just I might have last year.
Speaker 1:There's a chance I did you do it, so I'm just saying if you want to wear heels, you can get away with it.
Speaker 2:You can do that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that hurt, I feel like this is an adult, like trick-or-treat, like you, just go up.
Speaker 3:Like the kids what? I think it's actually cheaper than buying the candy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I know those king-size bars are something right. Yes, a hundred percent.
Speaker 3:I know, but yeah they're actually a happier than that, yeah, and then you know, we've got a lot of surprises coming to you in terms of entertainment, so you know there could be, you know, some aquatic surprises, and what do you mean?
Speaker 2:Aquatic surprise, kim, I really like. Do they have? Are they humans with Finn yeah?
Speaker 1:So you know we have a water show.
Speaker 3:I mean like to have some, you know, some weird and sexy things that are there and and there were like circus performers last year.
Speaker 2:Are they coming back? Okay, we have some interesting things happening. It's, I mean, you guys, it's a show, it literally it really, really is a show and you just stand on the corner and you listen to music and you eat some of the best restaurant foods, drink some of the best burp. I mean, I'm a bourbon drinker, so I will.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna be parked there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and just listening great music and watch circus shows and live mural.
Speaker 3:Okay, oh, live mural, let's talk about that because you got a big. We've got two artists that are coming to share. Cody Monaghan's coming back Um, for those of you there, last year he painted this massive flamingo live right in front of you. It's fascinating to watch the technique and you know everything that they're doing. And then June Miller, who is also.
Speaker 3:How do you stand there and see a wall and be like right boom, yep, and he'll do it on canvas, and last year it was for sale afterwards too, so I'm hoping that somebody will buy the piece that he creates.
Speaker 1:Oh, I'm sure it's gonna be magnificent June.
Speaker 3:Miller, who is actually in the gallery which is On the north side of New Haven, right at Vernon Place, and she's got a gallery in there and she will also be live painting and have something or some of her art in there and she is really unique and has a really cool story. She's a lovely woman.
Speaker 1:Are they gonna do like a live auction for these murals?
Speaker 3:I don't think they're auctioning. I think they would sell them to you if they, if you want to buy them right.
Speaker 1:But I'm thinking there's could be probably more than one. Yeah, you know, buyer, you know, especially by late night. I mean there's bourbons and the beer tent.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they're not charging us to be there, they're just gonna be there to be part of the community and to support us in the festival. So I would appreciate you know. People patronized both of them. They both have galleries in downtown.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 3:It's easy to find them.
Speaker 2:Speaking of downtown cam, I mean, we talked about some of this fun stuff. The vendors are gonna be there. I think that it's worth just taking a second. Like this woman, you guys, her heart and soul is poured into bringing this for the community and it we found out that it comes upon her. Honestly, it's part of what you grew up doing. Do you want to tell people a little bit about?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I was born into downtown. Yeah, so my family and it and this job is completely by accident. It was not in my path, but clearly it was in my path, but I Whether you liked it or not.
Speaker 3:Yeah, just like, okay, I'll go do that. Yeah, that sounds fun. But yeah, my family owns property. My dad's side of the family owns property in business downtown Melbourne and has since the early 60s, and so I literally have a picture of me I was like three years old on the backside of Crush 11, next to this planner box. Like just be like like super happy. I should actually go take that same picture now and like post it. It'd be funny, but I can't believe you haven't yet.
Speaker 2:I know, I don't know why.
Speaker 3:I used it in one of our newsletters to the downtown businesses. But you know just that this is in my heart and my soul and I've known downtown Melbourne. We ate at Pops Casbah.
Speaker 3:I worked down there for 10 years and then left and did other things and whatever, and it's just, it's really interesting to come home again and be there and actually work to make the community better. And I think one of the greatest things about the Food and Wine Festival is it actually fuels our efforts to do the work that we do. And a lot of the work that we do is advocating for what's best for downtown and for our community and listening to the public about what they want in downtown and what they want to see. And we know that it needs a facelift, and so we have been successful in advocating and the city is now going to be funding a streetscaping project and I think probably this time next year or like after the first of the year, you'll start to see construction. We're going to see wider sidewalks, beautification, lighting enhancements, signage, come on, and this is what we wake up every day. I mean, the events are a means to an end, but on the backside I spend most of my time A pretty cool means to an end yeah.
Speaker 3:But on the backside I'm really spending my time building community and identifying the projects and things that are going to make downtown better and more accessible to everyone. I mean, we have issues with the sidewalks now, you know, being kind of jacked up and not wide enough, and it's hard for strollers, it's hard for disabled and that kind of stuff, and we really want it to be for everyone and so that's our trajectory. And then connecting to the waterfront and we've got some super cool ideas that will make that happen. I can't talk about right now, but it's it's like.
Speaker 3:I will tell you something. If you dream about something and you put it out there and you could manifest it, it actually comes, and that's exactly what's happened with this project I can't talk about.
Speaker 2:On that note, everyone have a great day, we'll sign an NDA. You're welcome for your inspiration this morning. Self-help here. Well, thanks for doing that.
Speaker 1:Thank you for doing that.
Speaker 2:So I think that we need to drill in on the top that people need to know to get the most out of Festival hacks, so yes, yes. What are the food and wine hacks to best experience this? So, at the base level, getting there, I heard you ride share all day long. Where should they get dropped off and where do you start so you can?
Speaker 3:get dropped off at Front Street, because I think then the people can kind of turn around and that parking lot where the boats are and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:You can just walk in. That's smart, yeah.
Speaker 3:Or you could actually come. If you're coming off US one or anything, you can come down Melbourne Court, which comes right in front of Roots, on the backside of Crush 11. Once you come over the railroad tracks and you're heading west and then that kind of wraps around Iron Oak Post and then it comes out to Melbourne Avenue, you can get dropped right off there and then they can just leave and go straight up Melbourne Avenue so we're not going to have a lot of blockage and things like that and then just walk right into the festival. Easy, easy, easy. Or you can park in the parking garage but like oh who wants?
Speaker 1:to do that. I'm thinking.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you just really need to get dropped off. And the other thing is we have hotel partners, and Hotel Melby is one of our strongest partners in downtown Melbourne.
Speaker 2:Which the landings, so they're really well rounded for this event. They're bringing the food in here.
Speaker 3:They've got kind of everything right, yeah, and so that I highly recommend that. And then we have the courtyard by Marriott. That's a partner in the Hyatt Place, is one of our sponsors at Melbourne Airport, the brand new one. So, yeah, they're on our website too, that you can actually find the reservation link and get a special price.
Speaker 2:So, coming full circle to this whole date night concept get the ride, get the food and drink, get your hotel room and really have a night of it.
Speaker 3:And, honestly, what's really really cool about this event is that it's from 5.30 to 9.30. And then you need to go downtown Because downtown's just getting started right. Lots, all the bars and restaurants will be open, some of the shops and that's really what we're trying to do is put downtown Melbourne on the map and make sure people that have never been down before Because we do get a lot of out of town visitors that come that they're going to actually experience downtown. So, yeah, please patronize all the businesses in downtown.
Speaker 2:So what are the hours of this right? So 5.30 to 9.30. 5.30 to 9.30. So 9.30, it is the perfect time to just go sit down at Alligator Reef Club. That bar is really beautiful there. They really did it, they're so many great places, so many great spots, do you want to go through? I mean, this is one of my favorite things. Like on our page, we're always like, ok, what's your favorite, you know, mexican place. What's your favorite sushi place? What's your favorite place? You know manguetzu, mangguetzu.
Speaker 3:And they're going to be at the festival. They are OK, they bring it. I mean they have a line out the door all the time. They're open seven days a week now.
Speaker 2:Imagine that. Yeah, it's awesome. I feel like you're open seven days a week. Yeah, you must be, that's so true. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Well, actually my phone is open seven days a week, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's OK. So what else on a regular basis outside of this? Like what are some of the highlights people go nuts about in downtown Melbourne these days?
Speaker 3:Well, they definitely go nuts about the food. And you know we have so many breakfast places now it's kind of cool. That's a great point. Backwater roots, you know, lacrape, there's so many, like it's crazy. Sunshop, 9-o-5 Cafe, like there's a lot of places that you can get breakfast. Sassy Granny's no, she's not there.
Speaker 2:Oh, she's not there.
Speaker 3:No, no no, she doesn't have her smoothies anymore.
Speaker 2:That I used to just hit up those green smoothies, the green smoothie, exactly those she made a green smoothie.
Speaker 3:But, the.
Speaker 2:I mean, if you want a meeting, a work meeting downtown Melbourne, you got. Jackalins, you got. You want some nice coffee?
Speaker 3:nice meeting, that's a perfect setting for it. Yeah, there's so many places. It's just it's hard to think about the mall.
Speaker 2:Different, yeah, and how about shopping. Shopping is really yeah.
Speaker 3:We have great gift stores like Giftique and Glitter Alley and clothing stores like Tangled Rose, which is on the West End, and then Downtown Divas and Cotton Ways and Mad.
Speaker 2:Rookson Jordan is she's so nice Downtown Divas.
Speaker 3:Jordan is on my board of directors. She's like an angel that's on the center and she's her business mind is wicked. She's awesome.
Speaker 2:So talented Her I mean just her eye for what people would enjoy is so there.
Speaker 1:I've been so grateful to work with her recently. She's awesome, awesome.
Speaker 2:She's leveling up a lot of that shopping experience too, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:So, there's just there's just so much going on, so much going on in Downtown.
Speaker 1:So, as a as we get near the finish of the episode, what is something that you would want to let our audience know? To like action steps. Like. We have the website right Foodandwinedowntownmelbournecom. Yeah, how do they buy?
Speaker 2:these tickets.
Speaker 3:Yeah, or you could go to downtownmelbournecom and click on the. Foodandwine festival Also, if that's an easier URL to remember. But you just need to buy your tickets. You know we always sell out. There's never been a time that we haven't sold out. We will sell out. But we just want everybody that's really interested to go ahead and purchase their tickets and so we can be ready for you.
Speaker 2:And speaking of getting ready, I mean, I don't want. I want to go back and talk about our sponsors after this, but I think it makes sense. Halloween just passed and downtown Melbourne does the holidays pretty well too.
Speaker 3:So what? We had a great trick or treat on Saturday. Was it adorable it was like it was incredible. Yeah, so many people came out. They're just everywhere. And then we're gearing up for our candlelight shopping. The Saturday after Thanksgiving starts the tree lighting ceremony and all the things that go with that, and we have some cool surprises, a lot of things going on the 25th.
Speaker 1:Is that Saturday? So on, yeah, OK.
Speaker 3:I just have November 11th in my brain right now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, 11, 11, 11. But there's 20 stuff you are just wanting to say and then every Saturday yeah, the next four.
Speaker 3:Saturdays, starting on the 25th, candlelight shopping, and that really is the best time to come down. All the shops will be open. We have a window decorating contest this year, so everybody is going to make that. That's a great idea.
Speaker 1:Magical Main.
Speaker 3:Street and really light things up. And we have all kinds of you know, Santa will be there for the tree lighting and one other night. And then we have all kinds of different carolers, we have the Holy.
Speaker 1:Trinity.
Speaker 3:Orchestra that's coming this year and also their choir, is going to be strolling and doing caroling, and then some characters are coming, like we have something different every single night. And how do people?
Speaker 2:what is the best way for people, aside for Having you here, as whenever you want to come back, please keep us in. There's nothing, as far as I'm concerned, more important than what's happening in downtown Melbourne, but how do people stay informed about? How do they not miss something?
Speaker 3:Yeah, you can sign up for our newsletters. Downtown Melbourne, calm, and there should be a place on there somewhere to to sign up for Newsletters. You can monitor our website or follow us on social media. We have two Facebook pages. We have Melbourne Main Street, which is who we are as an organization, and then we have the downtown Melbourne page and then an Instagram. I think it's downtown Melbourne, fl is ours, got it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you don't want to end up in Australia, yeah.
Speaker 3:But yeah, there's, there's. We have all kinds of information that's getting pushed out all the time and Pretty good on the social media and if your business see you can, we have a lot of stuff on LinkedIn also. But really the social pages are where we push out most things and then we try to do our events and then we have an events page on our main site on downtown Melbourne calm that we try to get everybody downtown If they're having special events to put them on there, because you know we only do a certain amount a year but, like all kinds of other people do things totally.
Speaker 3:With. There's a New Year's party downtown that Hurricane Creek puts on, and then they have a concert. Yeah it's a big yeah they've got it coming back again this year on New Year's Eve. I mean that's a staple, but there's all kinds of things that have announced I was gonna be here. Um, I think, I think they have. If not, I mean, I've heard it.
Speaker 2:I'm always gonna be the one to go. No, no, no, no, no. Yeah, but so everyone needs to buy their tickets now because it will be sold out. It's not. It's not if it's one, yeah, and the value that you're, you're never gonna eat.
Speaker 3:And all of the food that's being. I don't know what else is going on in town, but I Doesn't matter and you want to participate too, like you want to get there.
Speaker 2:Scan the QR code, vote for your favorite restaurant. I mean, yeah, one thing that vibe and dine does all the time is what is your favorite place to go, and they are Represented at this festival. So for those people, I know you guys are loyal out there, so go and vote for, support your restaurant. They are they? It means a lot to them.
Speaker 3:This is these are pictures from last year. Look how much fun.
Speaker 1:Oh, it was a good time last year. Yeah well, go make sure you visit the food and wine downtown Melbourne calm, or just visit downtown Melbourne calm and hit the events page.
Speaker 2:And we'll see you there. I can't wait, I can't. It's gonna be so much fun it's it's.
Speaker 1:It's a do not miss event. Yeah, it is, if you don't know better.
Speaker 2:You don't miss it. I do not miss it. I would say it really, to be honest. Like it is, once a year, it is the event, so yeah and a shout out to Aaron Chuck.
Speaker 3:She is killing it, absolutely killing it, and this is a. This is a big, this is a big feat and she deserves a lot of a lot of credit.
Speaker 2:I'll work, she does so, and and your additional sponsors, right. Are there anyone else you want to say? Thank you, too, for the sponsor.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean Adelon, parasol, let's see Cisco, cisco, cisco. Yeah, see there are presenting sponsor. And then just down a little bit, yeah, adelon and Infinity of Melbourne Hyatt Place in Parasol. And then we have a lot of Media vendors clear channel outdoors one of them, and then Vernon sponsors Andrew Pickett, dsk law, keller Williams, a nationwide medical, trager, engineering, and North American properties. And North American properties is actually Going to be building a very large apartment complex right on Melbourne Court where we told people they should be dropped off, and so we expect that to be coming out of the ground in the next year, a year and a half to your son.
Speaker 1:How does that do you? How many units are gonna be build?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think it's about 300. And wow, we are, are in our part of our strategic plan is we love residential density, so we're huge advocates for that, the more people that live in downtown and park in their own parking garages and come out, the better for us and it just really starts to help the merchants become a lot more vibrant and have a lot more foot traffic on a regular basis and so I think you'll see a lot of that and they just so many other just great, great sponsors, as you can see on our website and I got shout out to my board too.
Speaker 3:They're they're steadfast and their support of us and promoting us in the community and and just being there and attending the event and, you know, talking with everybody and talking about the work, the great work that we're doing.
Speaker 2:Everyone buy your tickets. Kim, thank you for what you're doing for our community. Thank you.
Speaker 1:You're a lot.
Speaker 2:It's, it's. I'm stoked to see where it goes from here and it's it's gonna be because of this lady, yes, so thank you for being there, thank you, thank you so much.
Speaker 3:It's been great.
Speaker 1:So we'll see you downtown.
Speaker 3:See you.
Speaker 1:November 11th.
Speaker 2:It's gonna be so much fun. Bye, everybody.
Speaker 3:You.