Dania Beach, FL: One lucky attendee of the 2019 Dania Beach Arts and Seafood Celebration got more than just a taste of Chef Johnny Alarcon’s mouthwatering recipes – she was awarded an entire skillet of cooked paella. Chef Alarcon, the new executive chef at Luxe (located inside the Casino and Dania Beach), headlined along with three other chefs that also cooked up some of their favorite seafood dishes at the Chef Showcase, sponsored by Dania Pointe.
Close to 20,000 people attended the seventh annual, award-winning free festival, held on March 30 and 31, which was made possible with the generous support of major sponsors, Dania Pointe and the Casino at Dania Beach, 25 other sponsors, media coverage including Dania Beach Press and South Florida TV stations WTVJ/6 and WPLG/10, and 90 volunteers.
Dania Beach Mayor Lori Lewellen said it best, “The event is a reflection of our residents, our businesses, and our hospitality. We take great pride in presenting this award-winning event each year. It attracts audiences from near and far to catch a glimpse of the best of what Dania Beach has to offer.”
There was always a generous mix of visual, culinary and performance arts over the two-day celebration -- 78 artist booths, seven live bands, 22 food vendors and food trucks, four chefs, nine featured street artists creating paintings and sculptures live, a Kids Funville, and 50 tons of sand for the signature sculpture.
“I had a great lobster roll and with Shane Duncan Band in the house, there was great country and rock and roll music!” said Jackie Yanks Gonzalez, who opted to attend the Dania Beach event over other events that weekend. She was very happy with her decision and will be back again next year.
The Dania Beach Arts and Seafood celebration is produced by the City of Dania Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) with the support of City Administration. The CRA is currently planning for the eight annual event next year, which promises to be bigger and better than this year.
For a list of sponsors, vendors, participants, and information for next year’s event, visit www.daniabeachartsandseafoodcelebration.com.