Kalahari’s Food & (Not Just) Wine Festival has something for everyone, with island flair

Get ready to loosen your belts and indulge your taste buds, because on April 13, Kalahari Resorts and Conventions in the Poconos is back with its second annual Food & (Not Just) Wine festival.

This isn’t your average food festival with dainty wine sips and cheese cubes. Kalahari’s executive chef Stacy Calles said this will be a full-on flavor-packed tropical paradise, where over 50 food and drink samples from local and national brands will transform the resort into an immersive foodie wonderland.

Calles believes that giving each festival a theme adds and extra layer of excitement, turning it from just another tasting event into a full-on celebration.

“Last year’s theme was ’70s, and it’s fun to engage with the guests and see the associates dress up, and the décor makes it more of a party atmosphere instead of a regular food and wine festival,” said Calles.

This year’s tropical paradise theme means some of Kalahari’s most popular dishes will get a flavorful island inspired twist.

“A couple of our signature drink recipes will be altered to add coconut, pineapple and mango, those kind of tropical fruits. And same with the food, we have our Cinco Niños and we’re going to do our chicken tacos, so we’ll add a mango salsa and some jerk seasoning.”

But why call it the Food & (Not Just) Wine Festival? Because this event is so much more than that.

“We have a couple of candle shops and craft shops coming, and we also have artists that are going to be displaying some of their art as well,” she explained.

Calles talked about the importance of embracing the entire community, which is why they’ve brought in a diverse lineup of local vendors which has expanded this year. She said the goal is to create an event that isn’t solely focused on food and wine, but offers a variety of experiences for all guests to enjoy.

She says in addition to wine, the festival will also feature beer and non-alcoholic beverages, ensuring there’s something for everyone.

One of the festival’s biggest highlights? The chef demonstrations, including an intense bake-off where three or four of Kalahari’s executive pastry chefs will go head-to-head in a high-stakes pastry showdown. So, expect flour to fly and creativity to soar as they whip up show-stopping treats in front of a live audience.

“We’ve invited pastry chefs from each of our properties,” said Calles. “Our chefs really love to be creative, it’s like their favorite part of all of this.”

Calles is thrilled to see the festival return for a second year and hopes it will become an annual tradition for years to come.

Want to be a part of the fun? Grab your tickets now by visiting www.kalahariresorts.com/pennsylvania/ and clicking on the “Things To Do” tab.

Emmanuella Pierre is the trending and breaking news reporter at the Pocono Record. Reach her at [email protected].