Sylvester Stallone, Bryan Cranston to Appear at NYC Wine & Food Festival

The New York City Wine & Food Festival will feature celebrity appearances from Sylvester Stallone and Bryan Cranston, alongside a growing number of non-alcoholic offerings, organizers have announced. The festival is scheduled to take place from October 14 to October 18.

Sylvester Stallone is expected to attend a dinner to promote his Carbonadi Italian Vodka brand. Bryan Cranston will participate in tasting events to showcase the Dos Hombres tequila he co-founded with "Breaking Bad" co-star Aaron Paul. Former cast members of "The Real Housewives of New York City," including Luann de Lesseps, Dorinda Medley, and Kelly Bensimon, are also slated to attend a steak and whiskey event.

Reflecting a trend in consumer preferences, the festival will host several alcohol-free events. Musician Machine Gun Kelly, founder of 27 Club Coffee, will host a non-alcoholic "Morning Buzz" walk-around event with a brunch theme. Additionally, the festival's first non-alcoholic dinner on October 17 will be hosted by James Beard Award-winning chef Jonathon Sawyer and Gautier Coiffard, co-founder of L’Appartement 4F. This event will take place at The Maze NYC, an alcohol-free members club, with each course paired with non-alcoholic beverages.

Festival founder Lee Schrager noted the inclusion of non-alcoholic events as a response to the increasing demand, particularly among younger demographics. "People are drinking less. Especially younger people and we always try to do things to follow the business, and follow the trends," Schrager stated. "We are a wine and food event, and these [non-alcoholic] events have plenty of food but no wine. There are people who just don’t drink, so why lose out an audience that is pretty popular out there."

The festival, now in its second year at the Seaport as part of a multi-year agreement, will include over 50 events, ranging from private dinners to large tastings with live music. This year's lineup boasts more than 300 chefs. Signature events will be held at the Rooftop of Pier 17.

Other notable participants include Rachael Ray, who will co-host the "Blue Moon Burger Bash" with comedian Bert Kreischer. Chef Kwame Onwuachi will host a "New York After Dark" tasting event inspired by his forthcoming cookbook, "All Hours." EGOT winner Whoopi Goldberg will join chef JJ Johnson and radio personality Angela Yee to host "The Cookout," featuring hip-hop artist Method Man. Food Network personalities Ayesha Nurdjaja and Michael Symon, as well as chefs Marcus Samuelsson and Andrew Rea, are also scheduled to participate.

Culinary demonstrations from a variety of chefs and celebrities, including Alex Guarnaschelli, Bryan and Michael Voltaggio, Geoffrey Zakarian, and Aarón Sánchez, will be featured at the grand tastings. The fourth edition of FoodieCon, showcasing top food influencers, will also return.

Schrager aims to sell $3 million in tickets, with a significant portion typically sold in the final two weeks before the event. The festival, which began 19 years ago, benefits the James Beard Foundation and the Event Zero Foundation. The festival also noted a sister event, the Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival, scheduled for October 21-25, featuring chef Daniel Boulud and other culinary artists.