Alongside Bill Edwards, celebrity chefs and representatives from HSN and Visit St. Pete/Clearwater, E.A.T. St. Pete President Rob Kapusta, Jr. announced today that the inaugural E.A.T. ST. PETE – St. Pete & The Bay Area Festival of Food, Wine and the Arts will take place November 15 – 17, 2013. The star-studded line-up will bring celebrity chefs and TV personalities such as Donatella Arpaia, Duff Goldman, Ingrid Hoffmann, Lorena Garcia, Masaharu Morimoto, Ming Tsai, Scott Conant and Todd English to the ‘Burg.

St. Petersburg is known for its world-class arts scene, cuisine and award-winning beaches, making it the ideal location for an unforgettable experience of fine food, wine, and the arts. E.A.T. St. Pete (E.A.T. stands for “Enjoy Arts & Tastes) will feature collaborations between local artists, celebrity chefs, and popular local restaurants and chefs.

The festival is an unprecedented collaboration of St. Petersburg’s business, hospitality and arts community leaders. Major sponsors for the festival are Founding Sponsor, Bill Edwards Presents; Presenting Sponsor, HSN, Inc.; and Host Sponsor, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater.

World-renowned chefs Scott Conant, Ingrid Hoffmann and Donatella Arpaia

Proceeds from the ticket sales for E.A.T. St. Pete will benefit Florida ProStart, a program of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Educational Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. ProStart is a nationwide, two-year high school program for students interested in the restaurant and foodservice industry.

"We’re looking forward to showcasing the many offerings of our community to the world with the inaugural E.A.T. St. Pete festival," said Bill Edwards, Chairman of Bill Edwards Presents. "We have enlisted many great partners and culinary stars to gather for this one of a kind experience."

DT Minich of Visit St. Pete/Clearwater added, "We’re already known for our amazing beaches and cultural offerings, so we’re looking forward to the E.A.T. St. Pete festival highlighting one the area’s lesser-known treasures—our vibrant culinary scene, featuring an array of Gulf-fresh seafood.”

"We have the privilege of calling St. Petersburg the home of HSN, Inc.,” said Bill Brand, Chief Marketing and Brand Development Officer, HSN, Inc. “and we feel that this festival will bring even more recognition to this vibrant landscape.”

Tickets to E.A.T. St. Pete Festival are scheduled to go on sale on June 24, 2013.

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DT Minich (Visit St. Pete/Clearwater), Bill Brand (HSN), Bill Edwards and Mayor Bill Foster

Paul Liptak (The Club at Treasure Island), Scott Conant, Donatella Arpaia, Ingrid Hoffmann, Tyson Grant (Parkshore Grill), Chris Ponte (Cafe Ponte)

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