The Long Island Wine & Food Classic is back on the calendar after a one-year absence, returning to Farmingdale State College on Saturday, September 19, 2026. The all-inclusive tasting event will gather more than 25 restaurants and 20-plus beverage companies — including Long Island vineyards, craft breweries, premium spirits brands, and ready-to-drink and nonalcoholic options — under an expansive 80-by-200-foot tent.
The 2025 edition was shelved when the Farmingdale State College campus was committed to Ryder Cup-related use. Organizers say the 2026 installment is positioned to be the event's largest to date.
Culinary Leadership
Chef Eric LeVine will curate the food program. LeVine is the restaurateur behind several Farmingdale-area concepts, including 317 Main Street, Vico Costiera Amalfitana, Stage 317, The James Room, and The Nutty Irishman. His curation is expected to span established operators, veteran chefs, emerging talent, and specialty food purveyors from Nassau and Suffolk counties — a cross-section of the region's restaurant and hospitality community.
Hosting duties go to DJ CHEF, billed as "The Chef That Rocks!" — a Food Network Cutthroat Kitchen champion with additional television appearances on Bravo, MTV, FOX, and HGTV. His format blends live DJ sets, culinary demonstrations, and audience interaction, a hybrid entertainment model increasingly common at food-and-beverage experiential events.
Charitable Proceeds & Industry Engagement
"This event was created to bring the very best of Long Island's food and beverage community together in one extraordinary setting," said Steven McKenna, founder and producer of the Long Island Wine & Food Classic. "We are committed to delivering a larger, more exciting experience that celebrates our hospitality professionals while supporting a meaningful cause."
A portion of net proceeds will benefit the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which provides mortgage-free homes and support services to families of fallen or catastrophically injured military and first-responder personnel.
Beyond the tasting floor, the event positions Farmingdale State College as an active participant rather than a passive venue. Students, alumni, and faculty are expected to engage with culinary, hospitality, tourism, beverage, and event-production professionals — an applied-learning angle that reflects a broader industry push to pipeline talent directly from campus programs into foodservice and hospitality operations.
Participating restaurants, vineyards, breweries, and sponsors will be announced in coming weeks. Advance tickets are available at LIWFC.com, with organizers noting that capacity under the tent is limited.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
