South Florida Food and Drink Events This Weekend: Funky Buddha, Wine and Food Fest, and More

Congratulations, you made it through yet another working week. You might as well give yourself a pat on the back to celebrate — or better yet, a drink or three. Whether you're looking to chow down on burgers during Tucker Duke's Art After Dark launch event, want to meander through the fifth-annual Deerfield Beach Wine & Food Festival, or drink brews during Funky Buddha's Two Year Anniversary Party, there's something for you to do in South Florida this weekend.

Friday

Funky Buddha Lounge Pre-Party
Funky Buddha's Oakland Park brewery is turning 2 years old on Saturday, but that doesn't mean the lounge in Boca Raton isn't getting in on the action. To set things off right, their hosting a special pre-party starting at 4 p.m. The lounge will be releasing some of Funky Buddha's best beers including Maple Bacon Coffee Porter, No Crusts, Vanilla Espresso Piiti Porter, Nib Smuggler, Chocolate Whiskey Cake, and even a few berliners. Live music starts at 9:30 p.m. 

Art After Dark Dark Burger Release Party 
Every three weeks this summer Tucker Duke's Lunchbox in Deerfield Beach will release a special summer burger creation accompanied by an Art Battle, where three local artists will go head to head for 90 minutes, painting their own interpretations of what these ingredients mean to them during a live art project. A champion will be named during each battle, leading up to a final battle of the champions where an overall winner will be crowned. The first event takes place this Friday from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. and will feature live music, food, beer, and — of course — burgers.

Saturday

Funky Buddha Two Year Anniversary
It's birthday time again: Funky Buddha's Oakland Park brewery is turning 2 years old this weekend, and to celebrate, it's throwing yet another all-out brouhaha. To celebrate the success of the past few years, Funky Buddha has an all-star Saturday planned for its second-anniversary celebration on May 30. This epic, daylong festival will feature live music, food trucks and food vendors, and dozens of specialty releases from Funky Buddha, as well as a number of South Florida breweries. The event takes place from noon to 10 p.m.

Deerfield Beach Wine & Food Festival
Food Festival season isn't over yet. This weekend, the fifth annual Deerfield Beach Wine & Food Festival will return to Quiet Waters Park, and this year's event boasts a number of new features. As always, the annual food festival will bring event-goers face-to-face with dozens of local purveyors, restaurants, food trucks, private caterers, food product creators, and more. This year, however, the event will also offer a special kids-only zone. The Deerfield Beach Wine & Food Festival will take place at Quiet Waters Park on Saturday, May 30 from 1 to 9 p.m. Advance tickets are on sale for $15 per person ($7 for children, and free for those 5 and under). Day-of tickets cost $25 per person. Visit deerfieldbeachwineandfoodfestival.com.

Vitality Expo 2015
This Saturday, Farmer's Table in Boca Raton will host a special Vitality Expo that includes seminars and informational exhibits from a number of local vendors. The day will include a lunch prepared by Farmer's Table, as well as a number of inspiring speakers, sample treatments, interactive exercises and demos, and more. For Tickets go to EventBrite.

Le Bisto Cooking Class
Le Bistro in Lighthouse Point will be hosting a special cooking class starting at noon. The class will help you learn to prepare a four-course meal using Fresh From Florida products (with gluten-free alternatives). Lunch is provided during the class. Call Le Bistro at 954-946-9240 to reserve a seat. The cost is $60 per person.

Doris Wine & Food Gala
Supermarkets come in all shapes and sizes. Some, like Whole Foods, espouse nutritional benefits. Others are considered hometown heroes – we’re talking about you, Publix. There are chains known for being affordable yet impressive (think Aldi and Trader Joe’s). We have supersized box stores including Costco and BJs. And then we have the markets, the ones that specialize in a certain type of gourmet foods. Doris Italian Market & Bakery is a South Florida favorite. Not only does it offer an amazing selection of product but it also gives back to the community. Its upcoming effort is the Doris Wine & Food Gala. Benefiting Relay for Life – American Cancer Society, it includes more than 100 wines from around the world, a full buffet of authentic Italian fare, and artisan cheese. The evening features one-night special event wine pricing, storewide shopping exclusives, and $10 credits toward all wine purchases. The cost to attend is $29.95, $10 of which will be donated to Relay for Life. Tickets are available at the Sunrise and Coral Springs locations. The event takes place from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Doris Italian Market in Sunrise. It’s located at 10057 Sunset Strip in Sunrise. Call 954-749-1919, or visit dorismarket.com. 

Secret Garden Pop-Up Dinner
This weekend, visit the sleeper spot restaurant in Delray Beach for special dinner party hosted at one of the city's most beautiful locations, Eclectic Eats (1731 North Federal Highway, Delray Beach). The restaurant is only open for select evenings, special events, and private dinner parties — but this Saturday you can stop by and see what it's all about during an eclectic dinner in the restaurant's garden. The menu features more than a dozen dishes ranging from fish and chips and rack of lamb, to roast duck a l'orange and homemade escargot ravioli. Tickets cost $150 per person and includes samples of all 16 dishes as well as three cocktails. There is very limited seating. Call 561-271-8210 to check available seating and prices.

Sunday

Brunch Launch at Saltwater Brewery 
This Sunday, SaltWater Brewery is hosting its first ever Sunday brunch from noon to 4 p.m. A casual event, the brunch will feature a special pairing between the brewery and It's A Cubano B food truck. Special beer releases include Confused in the Morning?, the Don't Get Confused Belgian tripel aged on Belgian waffles, coffee, and maple syrup; and Monkmosa, the Don't Get Confused Belgian tripel blended with fresh-squeezed orange juice. Food will include Cuban-style French toast and breakfast sandwiches. Beer and food items will be priced a la carte. Moving forward, the brewery plans to host a brunch the last Sunday of each month. 

Tattoo Mania II Beer Garden
This year, the annual Tattoo Mania festival in West Palm Beach will host a special beer garden during all three days of the convention. From Friday, May 29 to Sunday, May 31 event-goers will have the opportunity to sample beers from some of their favorite breweries from around the country like Bell's, B Nektar, and Stone as well as some of Florida's best like Cigar City Brewing, Funky Buddha Brewery, and J Dubbs Brewing. The beer garden will showcase 15 to 20 breweries each day, with the lineup changing so you can have a unique experience every time. It was only a matter of time before someone decided to put amazing beer together with amazing art. Visit tattoomaniawpb.com.

Nicole Danna is a food writer covering Broward and Palm Beach counties. To get the latest in food and drink news in South Florida, follow her @SoFloNicole or find her latest food pics on the BPB New Times Food & Drink Instagram.