The Fabulous Food Show is the largest event of its kind, with 400,000 square feet of indoor exhibition space filled to the wings with food, beer, wine and a full slate of culinary celebrities, who will be hosting nearly 100 different live demonstrations on six different stages throughout the weekend. Each year approximately 30,000 attendees make their way through the I-X Center, where the affair is held.

This year’s event takes place Friday, November 11 through Sunday, November 13. General admission tickets ($25 per day advance, $30 box office) grant attendees access to the massive event space floor, where hundreds of restaurants, craft breweries, wineries and product vendors show off their goods.

Those tickets also grant access to every celebrity chef demonstration starring the likes of Michael Symon, Buddy Valastro, Daphne Oz, Aarón Sánchez, Damaris Phillips and many others. However, for up-close-and-personal viewing, attendees can purchase reserved seating tickets ($20) that guarantee a great view. Bump that figure up to $30 and you get a VIP Meet & Greet with that celebrity chef that includes the chance to secure an autograph and photographs.

Other “add-ons” include Sip & Save tickets ($15) that include six beer and/or wine selections in the Wine & Beer Pavilion. For $75, guests can attend a two-hour, hands-on demo with hyper-realistic cake sculptor Natalie Sideserf.

Also, signature events like Savor Cleveland, the opening party event with Jason Roberts and Michael Symon, Cake Boss Buddy Valastro’s Dessert First, and Michael Symon’s Block Party all require special tickets.

Throughout the weekend in the Giant Eagle Market District Theater, CLE Cooks for a Cause competitions that pit teams of Cleveland’s top chefs and Cleveland media talent will battle in live cooking competitions. A $5 donation will secure a reserved seat while benefitting a charitable organization.

For ticket info and a complete schedule of demos and special events check out the Fabulous Food Show website.

This article appears in Nov 2-8, 2016.

For 25 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work as co-author on Michael Symon's cookbooks have earned him four New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Scene dining editor has garnered awards of its own.