Palm Desert Food & Wine is back on El Paseo for four days, Thursday, March 18, through Sunday, March 21, 2027. The 2027 schedule has six ticketed events: a cheese and wine night, a James Beard luncheon, a chef reception at a private estate, a Sunday brunch, and two afternoons of Grand Tastings on the upper deck at The Gardens on El Paseo.
Palm Springs Life produces the festival. Tickets are already on sale, but the 2027 chefs, restaurants, and wineries have not been named yet. Here is what is confirmed as of September 28, 2026, pulled from the festival’s own event pages and FAQ.
The quick version
| When | Thursday, March 18, through Sunday, March 21, 2027 |
| Where | The Gardens on El Paseo, upper-level parking deck, 73-545 El Paseo, Palm Desert, CA 92260. The Friday reception is at a private location shared with ticket holders. |
| Highlights | Saturday and Sunday Grand Tastings, a James Beard four-course luncheon, cheese with Afrim Pristine |
| Ages | 21 and over at every event. No children or infants. |
| Tickets | $125 to $250 per event, sold event by event |
| Weather | Rain or shine. Tickets are non-refundable. |
| Parking | Lot behind El Paseo Village, with a free shuttle |
| Official site | palmdesertfoodandwine.com |
The 2027 schedule
Each event is its own ticket. Prices below are as listed on the festival’s event pages on September 28, 2026.
| Day | Event | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, March 18 | A Passport to Cheese with Afrim Pristine | 6 to 8 p.m. | $125 reserved seat |
| Friday, March 19 | James Beard Gourmet Four-Course Luncheon | 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. | $250 reserved seat |
| Friday, March 19 | Celebrity Chef Reception | 6 to 8 p.m. | $150 |
| Saturday, March 20 | Saturday Grand Tastings | Early Entry 11 a.m., general admission noon, until 3 p.m. | $200 Early Entry, $175 general admission |
| Sunday, March 21 | Sunday Brunch | 10 a.m. to noon | $150 reserved seat |
| Sunday, March 21 | Sunday Grand Tastings | Noon to 3 p.m. | $175 general admission |
What’s on the menu
The Grand Tastings
This is the main event. Restaurants, wineries, breweries, distilleries, and gourmet purveyors set up on the upper deck, and you graze and sip at your own pace. The festival says the tastings pour more than 60 wines, plus craft beers, IPAs, draught ciders, and spirits. Saturday includes one live chef demonstration, and Sunday has two. Saturday’s Early Entry ticket gets you on the floor an hour before everyone else, plus an exclusive demo before the noon opening.
The 2027 pour list is still to come. For a sense of scale, the 2026 wineries included Tablas Creek Vineyards, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, HALL Napa Valley, Cuvaison, and Temecula’s Robert Renzoni Vineyards, and the 2026 restaurants included Workshop Kitchen & Bar, Wally’s Desert Turtle, Shorebird, and Pinzimini. The Temecula Valley Wine Growers Association is the official winery for 2027.
A Passport to Cheese
Thursday opens with Afrim Pristine, the Toronto maître fromager and co-owner of Cheese Boutique, who wrote For the Love of Cheese and has a second cookbook, A Passport to Cheese, on the way. Guests taste cheeses with matched wines while he talks through cheesemaking, pairing, and the cultures behind the styles.
The luncheon, the reception, and brunch
At the James Beard Gourmet Four-Course Luncheon, four chefs each cook one course onstage, explain it, and serve it with a wine pairing. Proceeds support the James Beard Foundation and FIND Food Bank, which serves the Coachella Valley. Friday night’s Celebrity Chef Reception, held at a private estate, brings the festival’s chefs together for hors d’oeuvres, wine, and cocktails. Sunday Brunch is a smaller, seated meal, with chefs cooking each course onstage and pairing it with wine.
Who might cook
The 2027 talent has not been announced. The festival’s 2026 roster included Curtis Stone, Alex Guarnaschelli, Jet Tila, Nancy Silverton, Susan Feniger, Mary Sue Milliken, Zac Young, and Afrim Pristine.
Pick your event
| If you want… | Book |
|---|---|
| To roam, taste a lot, and set your own pace | Saturday or Sunday Grand Tastings |
| First crack at the tasting floor | Saturday Early Entry |
| A reserved seat and a plated meal | The James Beard Luncheon or Sunday Brunch |
| Face time with the chefs | Friday’s Celebrity Chef Reception |
| A deep dive on one subject | Thursday’s A Passport to Cheese |
| The cheapest way in | Thursday’s cheese night, at $125 |
Tickets
- Where to buy: The festival’s ticket page. For ticket help, the festival lists 800-210-0689.
- What’s included: Your ticket covers all food and drinks at the event.
- At the door: Tickets are sold at the door, but the festival says many events sell out and recommends buying ahead.
- No refunds: Events run rain or shine, and tickets are non-refundable.
- Packages: The festival also offers 2027 Gourmet Diva Packages. Details are by inquiry through the tickets page.
Getting there
The Gardens on El Paseo sits on El Paseo between Larkspur and Lupine. The tents go up on the west side upper-level parking deck.
- Parking: Park in the lot behind El Paseo Village and take the free shuttle to the event.
- Avoid: There is very limited parking in the San Pablo garage, and the festival asks guests not to park in front of the homes on San Pablo.
- Staying over: The festival has an accommodations page, and the Parker Palm Springs is the official hotel sponsor for 2027.
Tips
- Food allergies: The chefs cannot make allergy accommodations at an event this size. The festival suggests asking each chef or vendor what is in a dish.
- Demo seats: Grand Tastings have seating, but chef demonstration seats are first come, first served. Get there early for the demo you want.
- Pace yourself: The tastings run three or four hours. Eat as you sip, drink water between pours, and plan a ride home.
- No pets: Pets are not allowed at any event.
Family notes
Every event is 21 and over, and children and infants are not admitted. Plan this one as a grown-ups’ weekend.
Accessibility
The festival says it aims to make its events accessible to guests with disabilities. If you will need an accommodation or have questions about physical access, call 760-833-1612 before the event.
Still to come
The 2027 chefs, restaurants, wineries, and vendors; the location of the Celebrity Chef Reception (shared with ticket holders later); chef demonstration schedules; and the ticket booth’s dates and hours. The 824 Journal will update this guide as they are released.
Sources
- Palm Desert Food & Wine, official site (dates, schedule, venue, parking, shuttle)
- Palm Desert Food & Wine: Purchase Tickets and the individual 2027 event pages (times and prices)
- Palm Desert Food & Wine: Tickets and Packages
- Palm Desert Food & Wine: Information and FAQ (ages, refunds, weather, allergies, pets, accessibility)
- Sip, Taste, Chefs, and Sponsors and Charities pages (2026 participants, 2027 sponsors and charities)
Featured photo: Visitor7 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
