Albany Chefs’ Food & Wine Festival Reveals 2025 Award Recipients
https://medium.com/relentlessawareness/albany-wine-dine-for-the-arts-and-hatties-restaurants-have-teamed-up-to-present-the-miss-438d41699031
ALBANY, N.Y. (Jan. 14, 2024) — Albany Wine & Dine for the Arts has revealed new changes for the 2025 Albany Chefs’ Food & Wine Festival presented by Bank of America. In addition to collaborating with Hattie’s Restaurants for the new Wine & Dine and Brunch! event Sunday, Jan. 26, the two culinary powerhouses will join forces to reimagine the festival’s annual awards as the “Miss Hattie’s Changemaker Awards.”
The awards recognize individuals committed to supporting the arts community throughout the Capital Region and will be presented at the Mayor’s Opening Reception on Thursday, Jan. 23 at New York State Museum, kicking off the four-day festival.
This year’s Honorable Gerald D. Jennings Backstage Award for supporting the missions of local arts organizations will go to Park Playhouse.
The Spirit of the Industry Award, presented to the person who demonstrates professionalism in the restaurant industry and a commitment to the community, has been renamed as the Robert J. McNamara Spirit of the Industry Award to posthumously honor the late Robert J. McNamara who passed away May 2024. Robert is acknowledged for his dedication to supporting charitable causes within the Albany community, including his role as Vice Chairman of the Albany Chefs’ Food & Wine Festival Board of Directors.
The Karen Smith-Sfara Ovation Award, created to honor the memory of founding member Karen Smith-Sfara and given to an individual who has made significant contributions to the arts in Albany, will be presented to City of Albany Mayor, Kathy Sheehan.
Festivities will continue on Friday afternoon, when guests will attend the Grand Tastings & Seminars, sponsored by the National Bank of Coxsackie. Attendees will make their way to the Slider Slam! competition on Friday night, Jan. 24. Saturday’s Grand Tastings & Seminars on Jan. 25 will then be followed by the five-course Grand Gala dinner presented by Total Events.
The Albany Chefs’ Food & Wine Festival will also be hosting “Wine & Dine and Brunch.” in collaboration with Hattie’s Restaurants. This ticketed brunch event will take place on Sunday, January 26, at the newly opened Hattie’s Restaurant in Albany, NY. Seating is limited for the two brunch sessions, so attendees are encouraged to reserve their spots early to experience this exclusive and memorable conclusion to the festival. Tickets to all events are available on AlbanyWineFest.com in limited quantities.
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