Everyone knows that half the fun of attending a sporting event is indulging in a ballpark frank or tub of popcorn, but what about a more Naples-appropriate spin on snacking? This year the ACE Group Classic, a Champions Tour PGA event held at TwinEagles golf club, sought to answer that. For its first annual Friday FanFest, to be held Feb. 13 from around 2-5 p.m. (the day’s competitive play should end at 3:30 p.m.), fans can expect tastings of 33 craft beers and nibbles from a handful of area restaurants, like Bokampers and the new Fish Crazy. Naples Wine Collection is also donating libations (including Naples resident Frank Baroudi’s Puro Uno line of Argentinean reds and whites), and South African golfer-turned-vintner David Frost and Kendall-Jackson will be supplying vino, too. Add in live music, and the afternoon is set to be a hole in one. While FanFest is open to the public, organizers expect most people this inaugural year to be those holding tickets for the day’s head-to-head. But as tournament director Gail Graham, says, “This is just the beginning. We want it to be a celebration of Naples. It’s going to be a taste of what we’d like the event to be for 2016 and beyond.”
Friday FanFest at the ACE Group Classic
Feb. 13
Tickets: $10 (for 10 beer or wine samples, plus three food samples)
For information or to purchase tickets for both the tournament and the festival, call 239-593-3900 or click here.
Naples Wine Collection
