Social Seens... Photography by Gram
St. Pete Wine and Food Festival
This first annual weekend festival successfully brought foodies and wine aficionados together in downtown St. Petersburg for
a variety of events. There was a V.I.P. kick off party at the Museum of Fine Arts, a Pairings Dinner in the Birchwood Ballroom to
benefit the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, as well as Beer Night St. Pete and two days of restaurant and wine tastings and
chef demonstrations in North Straub Park. Over 20 restaurants and 40 wineries shared their best offerings; while local artists
D YaeL Kelley, Jim Rolston, Charlie Parker and Kyu Yamamoto displayed their paintings, sculptures and ceramics.
John Collins and his wife, free-lance writer
Mary Ellen Collins, were glad that the Festival’s
Charity Wine Pairings Dinner benefited the
St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, of which John
is the executive director.
Dwana Stone and her husband Matt Dieter,
the founders of the St. Pete Wine and Food
Festival, were happy with the attendance
and the quality of the food and wines at
their well-orchestrated first-time event.
Kathy Fountain and her husband
Frank Robertson, who were local television
personalities for many years, enjoyed attending
the St. Pete Food and Wine Festival’s Charity
Wine Pairing Dinner with friends.
Photography by Gram Swanky Soirée VI
Kate Wetzel of TV 10 News emceed this evening of food, wine, auctions and fashion to benefit Brookwood Florida. The event,
which was held at The Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg, was chaired by John William Barger, III and featured tastes from
local restaurants such as Bascom’s Chop House, Gratzzi Italian Grille, Parkshore Grill and Guy Harvey RumFish Grill, as well
as runway fashions presented by Saks Fifth Avenue Sarasota. Brookwood Florida has been providing a unique, life-changing
residential program for non-pregnant, non-addicted, at-risk girls between the ages of 13 and 21, who have suffered abuse,
neglect, homelessness and serious family dysfunction since 1927.
Tom and Mary James enjoyed sampling the
many tastes provided by local restaurants at
this benefit for Brookwood Florida, which
they helped sponsor through Raymond James
Financial, where he serves as board chair.
Brookwood Florida’s Development Specialist
Cheryl Small and Executive Director Pam
Mesmer thanked John William Barger, III
and his committee for their hard work
to make the benefit so successful.
Committee members and event sponsors
Joyce and Walter Larson hosted an exclusive
multi-course wine paired Sponsor Dinner
at their St. Petersburg home the following
evening for the Soirée’s major donors.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 169