Ocala Food & Wine Festival

About

The Ocala Food & Wine Festival is a three-day, chef-led culinary celebration featuring culinary competition, beer, wine and spirits tastings and samples of extraordinary cuisine.

Experience three days of exceptional cuisine at World Equestrian Center – Ocala. This exclusive weekend is your invitation to indulge with talented chefs, elegant events and world-class accommodations.

Make the most of the weekend with the Five-Star Festival Package, offering exclusive access to the Chefs’ Dinner. Book a package to fully immerse yourself in gourmet cuisine and luxurious comfort.

This 21+ event benefits the Public Education Foundation of Marion County ProStart Program. Marketing in Partnership with the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association.

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Event Schedule

Chefs’ Dinner

November 6

Grand Tasting

November 7

Grand Prix Dining Experience: Ocala Food & Wine Festival Edition

November 7

Jazz Brunch

November 8

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Five-Star Festival Package

Available at either The Equestrian Hotel or The Riding Academy Hotel:

Two nights’ accommodations for two guests
Access for two to all signature festival events:
- Friday: Chefs’ Dinner
- Saturday: Grand Tasting with exclusive access to the VIP Bubble Lounge
- Saturday: Grand Prix Dining Experience
- Sunday: Jazz Brunch
$50 Stirrups breakfast credit per room Saturday morning
Early check-in and late check-out
Valet parking (The Equestrian Hotel Only)
15% off a Calluna Spa service for two
Surprise welcome amenity

Book early to secure the best rates. Package pricing will increase on August 1, 2026. Don’t miss your chance to experience one of Florida’s most extraordinary culinary weekends!

Must be 21+ to book. Package based on dual occupancy. Subject to availability.

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Ticket Information

Large indoor event with audience seated facing a stage, where cooking demonstration takes place; car display and vendor booths visible under purple lighting.

Grand Tasting | $150 per person

Sip and savor at this unlimited sampling event. Explore local bites, samples from premium beverage vendors, and curated offerings from our talented chefs. The afternoon will feature lively programming, including a beer garden, a wine pull and the annual mystery basket competition featuring local culinary students. Commemorative tasting glass included!

$3 online service fee and taxes additional.
1pm–5pm | WEC Exposition Center 1

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People sit at round tables with orange tablecloths on a covered outdoor patio, eating and talking. Floral centerpieces are on the tables, and a white building is visible in the background.

Jazz Brunch | $135 per person

Raise a glass to the end of the weekend with this elegant jazz brunch at The Equestrian Manor. Mingle with the chefs and indulge in sweet and savory brunch classics, chef-attended action stations, a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar and bubbly, all accompanied by live jazz.

$3 online service fee and taxes additional.
10am–1pm | Lallie’s Covered Pavilion

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A horse and rider jump over an obstacle at a nighttime equestrian event, while spectators watch from a seating area and a large screen displays scores.

Ticket Bundle

Local guests can enjoy a special packaged rate when bundling tickets to the Grand Tasting and Jazz Brunch, plus receive access to the Grand Prix Dining Experience: Ocala Food & Wine Festival Edition.

$425 per person
$3 online service fee and taxes additional.

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Gold and white event invitation showing a glass of champagne on rocks. Text reads: The Art of Champagne: An Evening with Cristal, November 5, 2026, 6PM. Includes Louis Roederer and Genieveve's logos.

Get the Fun Started Early!

Begin your festival weekend with The Art of Champagne: An Evening with Cristal on Thursday, November 5. Enjoy an intimate six-course dinner paired with legendary Louis Roederer champagnes, including newly released and rare Cristal vintages. Limited seats are available.

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Talent

Meet the Full Team

A chef in a white uniform stands outdoors in front of a large white building, smiling at the camera.

Chef Yohann Le Bescond

WEC Complex Executive Pastry Chef

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French Chef Yohann Le Bescond is Complex Executive Pastry Chef at World Equestrian Center – Ocala and a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist. Trained in Brittany, he earned the Brevet Technique des Métiers Pâtissier by age 20 and led U.S. pastry kitchens by 22. He now oversees the entire pastry program at WEC, including the two beloved Emma’s Patisserie locations, and has gained national acclaim through Food Network appearances (Summer Baking Championship, Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking) and was named to Restaurant Hospitality’s 2023 Chef Power List.

Chef Stephan Holland

World Equestrian Center Executive Chef

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With over two decades of mastery in Modern American, Spanish, Asian, Japanese, and Haute Cuisine, Chef Stephan Holland brings global finesse to the table. He previously led special projects, openings, and development at Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas and has overseen and conceptualized multiple restaurants in Sweden. Chef Stephan has headlined premier events such as the NPIWFF Wine and Food Festival and collaborated with Andrew Zimmern, Martha Stewart, José Andrés, and Nobu Matsuhisa. He now spearheads four new restaurant concepts at The Equestrian Manor at WEC.

A chef in a white uniform stands outdoors in front of a large, white building.

Chef Daniel Binghak

The White Willow Chef de Cuisine

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Chef Daniel Binghak brings a refined mastery of Asian cuisine shaped by his work with major destinations like Epic Universe Universal, Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Resort, and Hard Rock Casino International. He spent five years as senior sushi chef at Morimoto, the flagship restaurant of Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, where he honed his craft in contemporary Japanese cuisine. Chef Daniel is now at World Equestrian Center as Chef de Cuisine at The White Willow at The Equestrian Manor.