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FLORIDA’S TOP 100 EVENTSRitz employees and nearly 400 volunteers. Founded by theNaples Children & Education Foundation, the event benefits theorganization’s efforts to improve the lives of underprivilegedand at-risk children in the county. The 2009 festival is scheduledfor February 6 to 8.PENSACOLA SEAFOOD FESTIVAL More than 75,000 atten-dees enjoy local musical acts and the fare of more than 150 care-fully selected food and craft vendors at the Pensacola SeafoodFestival every September. Popular elements of the three-dayevent are a 5K walk/run and a fishing tournament, the ObertoRedfish Cup. The festival is held in the Seville Square area of his-toric downtown Pensacola and is produced by the Fiesta of FiveFlags Association. Andrea Tippett is the event coordinator andworks with more than 400 volunteers. The 2009 festival will

return September 25 to 27.POMPANO BEACH SEAFOOD FESTIVAL The end of AtlanticBoulevard, where the street meets the sand, marks the location forthe annual Pompano Beach Seafood Festival. In its 24th year, theevent ran from April 25 to 27 in 2008 and included beachfront per-formances, a boardwalk arts and crafts bazaar, fresh seafood foodcourt, and kids-only zone. Good Event Management produces thefestival, which draws in 25,000 revelers annually, and all revenuesbenefit local charities such as the Boys and Girls Club. The 25thanniversary will be celebrated April 24 to 26.FOOD NETWORK SOUTH BEACH WINE & FOOD FESTIVALFounded and directed by Lee Brian Schrager, the South Beach Wine &Food Festival has evolved expotentionally over its eight-year exis-tance. What began as a one-day festival at Florida International

University’s Biscayne Bay campus has grown to include a lineup ofmore than 40 events across Miami’s most exclusive venues.Benefiting Florida International University’s School of Hospitality andTourism Management, the event attracts the most celebrated chefsand culinary personalities, as well as more than 2,000 vendors and40,000 guests.The 2009 dates are February 19 to 22.WINEQUEST In its 13th year, this summer wine festival offers winetastings, dinners, auctions, and interactive seminars at Orlando ven-ues such as the JW Marriott Grand Lakes and Grand BohemianHotel. The 10-day event supports Quest Inc., an organization dedi-cated to improving the lives of people with disabilities. WineQuestis coordinated by a team of wine industry professionals, includingsommeliers, wine educators and brokers, restaurateurs, chefs, andretailers. [Dates for 2009 have yet to be determined.]

Sports EventsBIKE WEEK Half a million motorcycle enthusiasts descend onDaytona Beach the first week of every March to celebrate BikeWeek. Since its inception in 1937, Bike Week has grown into a 10-dayspectacle of cycles, live entertainment, and vendors—selling bikegear, of course, plus a variety of food and beverages. Organized bythe Daytona Beach and Halifax Area Chamber of Commerce, BikeWeek features several rides for charity and activities at surroundingbars and nightclubs, in addition to its impressive display of hogs.DAYTONA 500 Produced by the Daytona International Speedway,the 2008 race marked the 50th anniversary of the “Great AmericanRace.” Taking place on February 17, the event marked the first yearusing the Nascar Car of Tomorrow—a boxier car boasting bettersafety, cost maintenance, and competition performance. Markingthe beginning of Nascar season, the 2008 race posted more than$18.6 million in awards.The race kicked off with Trisha Yearwood per-forming the national anthem for the 250,000 fans in attendance.The 51st annual race is scheduled for February 15.FEDEX ORANGE BOWL The 2009 FedEx Orange Bowl featuredthe Doobie Brothers as the halftime performer. Played on January 1at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, the surrounding Orange BowlFestival includes the Budweiser Tailgate Party, the AvMed CoachesLuncheon, and the National Fan Fest in Bicentennial Park.Presented by the city of Miami, Fan Fest draws revelers to a one-dayconcert of top musical performers attended by former footballplayers, cheerleaders, bands, and mascots of the teams participat-ing in the BCS National Championship game, which occurs a weeklater. Organized by the Orange Bowl Committee, this year’s eventmarked the 75th anniversary of the game.FLEET WEEK PORT EVERGLADES Due to the cancellation ofthe McDonald’s Air and Sea Show in 2008, Broward Navy Days pro-duced the 14th annual Fleet Week Port Everglades. The weeklongtribute to the nation’s seagoing military personnel began April 28with an official reception at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel andCasino in Hollywood. One of the largest spectator events in thecountry,Fleet Week brought nearly 2,500 sailors,marines,and coastguard servicemen and women—along with their vessels—toSouth Florida through May 4. Surrounding events include golf tour-naments, blood drives, intramural athletic tournaments, and more.The ships return to Port Everglades April 27 to May 2.FORD CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND Every November,Homestead-Miami Speedway hosts the conclusion of three Nascarracing series—the Craftsman Truck Series, Busch Series, and thehighly anticipated Sprint Cup Series. According to speedway presi-

dent Curtis Gray, “Ford Championship Weekend is the toughestannual sports ticket to obtain in South Florida.”The three-day eventalso includes concerts and driver meet-and-greets.GATE RIVER RUN More than 18,000 participants turned out forthe 31st annual Gate River Run in Jacksonville last March. Billed asthe largest 15K run in the country, the race begins at theJacksonville Municipal Stadium and runs through downtown andhistoric San Marco before returning to the start line. The 2009race is scheduled for March 14.KONICA MINOLTA GATOR BOWL CLASSIC Beginning in1946, the Gator Bowl Classic became the first-ever coast-to-coasttelecast of a college bowl game in 1955 and has continued to benationally televised since. Played on New Year’s Day each year atthe Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, the bowl attracts more than60,000 people each year and is preceded by the Gator Bowl Paradeon December 31,which has nearly 100 participants, including bandsfrom across the country, giant balloons, floats, and performers.LITTLE EVERGLADES STEEPLECHASE More than 16,000 atten-dees attended the eighth annual Mercedes-Benz Little Everglade’sSteeplechase Races in Dade City last year on March 9.Named the BestAttraction of 2008 by the readers of Florida Monthly, the day includedsix sanctioned horse races,an antique-style carriage parade,and a hatcontest billed as the most outrageous in Florida. The event raised anestimated $60,000 for three charities.The race returns on March 8.MIAMI BEACH POLO WORLD CUP For the fourth year in a row,Miami Beach hosted the international polo community at the 2008Miami Beach Polo World Cup April 25 to 27. Six international teams,and nearly 80 ponies, participated in the three-day event coordinatedby ACT Productions and held in the sands of Miami Beach just behindthe Setai.The inclusion of two additional teams gave the tournamentthe official title of the world’s largest and most prestigious polo tour-nament on the beach. A host of events surrounded the matchesincluding a horse parade on the beach and V.I.P. “Polo Goes Social”cocktail party at the Sagamore.The tournament returns May 1 to 3.MS GROUP CHAMPIONSHIPS Formerly held at the AmeliaIsland Plantation, the MS Group Championships (formerly theBausch & Lomb Championships) will return to North Florida forthe 2009 tournament April 6 to 12 at the Sawgrass Country Clubin Ponte Vedra. Celebrating its 30th year, the tournamentis one ofthe most anticipated stops on the Sony Ericsson WTA tour, theworld’s premier professional sporting event for women, withmore than 2,000 players, which attracted more than 4.7 millionattendees to its matches in 2007.THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP The PGA Tournament’sPlayers Championship golf tournament is held each year at TPC

Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. In 2008, Spaniard Sergio Garciabecame the second European to win the title in the tournament’s35-year history, taking home $1.7 million of a $9.5 million purse—the largest in the tournament’s history and richest in world golf.The 2009 matchup is scheduled for May 7 to 9.RED HILLS HORSE TRIALS This annual equestrian event servesas an International Equestrian Federation World Cup Qualifier, aswell as one of the U.S. Eventing Association’s Adequan Gold CupSeries events. The 2008 trials, which took place March 13 to 16 atElinor Klapp-Phipps Park in Tallahassee, sent shockwaves throughthe equestrian world as one rider was injured and two horses diedduring competition. The three-day event also includes A Taste ofRed Hills, a county-fair-style event with merchandise and foodvendors, educational demonstrations, and a kids’ fun area.Organized by the Red Hill Horse Trials board of directors, the 2009trials will take place March 13 to 15.SONY ERICSSON OPEN Attracting nearly 300,000 guests, the2008 Open on Key Biscayne unfolded a portfolio of events in addi-tion to the tennis matches. These included concerts and fashionshows at the tournament's makeshift village in Crandon Park,which also hosted sponsors like Mercedes-Benz, Fila, and Bank ofAmerica in their own branded tents and booths. To lead into thetournament, top tennis players Serena Williams and Rafael Nadalfaced off for the tournament’s “Walk on Water” contest played ona custom-built court submerged just below the water’s surface inthe Gansevoort South hotel’s rooftop pool. Produced by IMG, the12-day tournament took place March 26 to April 6.WALT DISNEY WORLD MARATHON WEEKENDApproximately18,000 athletes participated in a weekend of fitness expos andchallenging races in January 2008. The weekend of energizingevents includes a half-marathon, kids fest, health and fitness expo,Goofy Race, and the concluding 26.2-mile marathon through fourof the Walt Disney World Resort parks. Event organizers expectmore than 22,000 participants for the 2009 marathon, which tookplace January 9 to 11.WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS-CA CHAMPIONSHIPThe 2008 tournament marked the second consecutive year thatCA Inc. was the title sponsor. The three-day championship golftournament attracted just under 100,000 spectators to the DoralGolf Resort & Spa from March 20 to 23. Geoff Ogilvy beat out theother 74 participating golfers to take home the Gene SarazenTrophy and a check for $1.35 million. The win made him the thirdplayer to win more than one World Golf Championship title. Thetournament will return to the Blue Monster golf course at theDoral from March 9 to 15.

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