Lake Nona's annual 21-and-over food and wine tasting: when it runs, where it is now, what a ticket gets you, and why it isn't a family night out.
Taste of Nona is an annual food and wine tasting run by the Lake Nona Regional Chamber of Commerce. It started in 2013 and is now held each May; its first several years ran in the fall. The event is 21 and over only, so it is not a family event. It is held at Aloft Orlando Lake Nona; earlier editions were held at Lake Nona Town Center. Tickets start at around $60 per person, and the 2027 date had not been announced as of September 2026.
Taste of Nona puts a room full of local restaurants on one ticket for one evening. For anyone new to Lake Nona, it is the fastest way to find out which kitchens nearby are worth a full dinner, and for longtime residents it is a Chamber tradition that goes back to 2013.
An earlier version of this post described it as a night out for families. It isn't. Taste of Nona is 21 and over only, and a few other details have changed since the event moved from the fall to May. Here is what it looks like now.
What is Taste of Nona?
Taste of Nona is the Lake Nona Regional Chamber of Commerce's annual food and wine tasting, a ticketed evening where local restaurants and vendors serve tasting portions to adult guests.
The Chamber runs it as one of its signature events alongside the spring Nona Festival. Restaurants set up stations, guests move between them, and the evening doubles as a showcase for businesses that belong to the Chamber.
| Organizer | Lake Nona Regional Chamber of Commerce |
|---|---|
| First held | 2013 |
| Month | May (the fall in its early years) |
| 2027 date | Not announced as of September 2026 |
| Venue | Aloft Orlando Lake Nona, 7215 Corner Dr, Orlando, FL 32827 |
| Ages | 21 and over only |
| Tickets | From around $60 per person |
| Time of day | Evening; the 2024 edition ran 5:30 to 9:30 PM |
When is Taste of Nona held?
Taste of Nona is held in May, and the Chamber had not set a date for the 2027 edition as of September 2026.
It was not always a spring event. For its first several years it ran in the fall. The 6th annual Taste of Nona was scheduled for Saturday, October 13, 2018, and the 7th ran on Saturday, October 19, 2019. It has since moved to May, and it ran in May of both 2025 and 2026.
The move also changed the day of the week in at least one year: the 2024 edition fell on a Tuesday. Don't assume a Saturday. Check the date on the Chamber's signature events page once the 2027 edition is announced.
Where is Taste of Nona held?
Taste of Nona is held at Aloft Orlando Lake Nona, at 7215 Corner Dr; earlier editions were held at Lake Nona Town Center.
The 2024 edition used the hotel's Althea Event Center. Before the hotel became the venue, the event ran at Lake Nona Town Center. In 2019 a storm forecast pushed it out of its planned outdoor site and into the then-new Town Center parking garage at 6855 Lake Nona Blvd, which kept guests and vendors under cover.
That episode is the practical case for a hotel venue: an evening event in Central Florida's rainy season does better with a roof than a lawn.
Can you bring kids to Taste of Nona?
No. Taste of Nona is a 21-and-over event, so children and anyone under 21 cannot attend.
This is the correction worth making loudly, because some event write-ups, including an earlier version of this one, describe it as a family outing. Alcohol is part of the event, and the Chamber restricts entry accordingly.
If you want a Chamber event the whole family can go to, the free spring Nona Festival at the USTA National Campus is the one built for that. The full calendar is on our Lake Nona events hub.
How much are Taste of Nona tickets, and what do they include?
Taste of Nona tickets start at around $60 per person, and a ticket covers tasting portions rather than a full dinner.
The Chamber has not published its 2027 ticket tiers yet. The 2024 listing shows how the event has been structured. General admission was $50 and included tasting portions from 25 vendors, with full-size portions for sale and cash bars. VIP was $65, with entry an hour earlier, VIP-only bars and a reserved section of cocktail tables.
Two things follow from that. First, budget for drinks on top of the ticket unless the current tier says they are included. Second, the VIP premium mostly buys the first hour, when lines are short. Confirm both against the 2027 listing, because tiers and prices change year to year.
Which restaurants take part in Taste of Nona?
The restaurant lineup changes every year, and the Chamber publishes it with each edition rather than keeping a fixed list.
Scale has held fairly steady. The 2019 edition promised more than 30 restaurants and food vendors, with the Tavistock Restaurant Collection running the bars and bringing Chroma Modern Bar + Kitchen and Canvas Restaurant & Market. The 2024 edition listed 25 vendors.
Vendors are not limited to Lake Nona, so expect some kitchens from elsewhere in Central Florida. To see what is open nearby year-round, start with our Lake Nona restaurants guide.
Pros, Cons and Our Take
Pros
- One ticket covers tasting portions from a room full of restaurants, which is a quick way to sample local kitchens.
- A hotel venue removes most of the weather risk that pushed the 2019 edition indoors at the last minute.
- Money goes through the local Chamber, so it supports the businesses that make up the community.
Cons
- It is 21 and over only; families with kids can't go together.
- Tasting portions are not dinner, and in 2024 the general-admission bars were cash, so the real cost runs above the ticket price.
- The date moves. The 2024 edition was on a Tuesday, which is hard for anyone commuting home from work.
- No fixed restaurant list means you can't count on a favorite being there.
Our Take
Taste of Nona is worth one evening for adults who want a sample of the area's restaurants in one room, and it is most useful in your first year or two in Lake Nona. It is not a family event, and it is not a dinner: go expecting small plates, bring money for drinks unless your ticket says otherwise, and buy VIP only if skipping the first-hour lines matters to you.
What the Neighbors Know
Taste of Nona reflects how Lake Nona works as a community. Much of what happens socially here runs through a small number of organizers: the Chamber, the Town Center and the hotels. When you move in, their calendars are the ones to watch.
The event also shows how fast the local dining scene turns over. A lineup from a few years ago would read differently today, which is one reason to treat the tasting as a shortlist and then go back for full meals at the places you liked.
Official Sources
- Lake Nona Regional Chamber of Commerce: Signature Events
- Taste of Nona 2024 ticket listing (Humanitix)
- Positively Osceola: 2019 Taste of Nona venue change
Buying or selling in Lake Nona? Call/Text David Myers at 407.801.3286 or use the contact form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Taste of Nona family-friendly?
No. Taste of Nona is a 21-and-over event, so children and anyone under 21 cannot attend.
When is Taste of Nona 2027?
The Lake Nona Regional Chamber of Commerce had not announced the 2027 date as of September 2026. The event is held in May.
Where is Taste of Nona held?
Taste of Nona is held at Aloft Orlando Lake Nona, 7215 Corner Dr, Orlando, FL 32827. Earlier editions were held at Lake Nona Town Center.
How much do Taste of Nona tickets cost?
Tickets start at around $60 per person. Tiers and prices change each year, so check the Chamber's listing for the current edition.
Who organizes Taste of Nona?
The Lake Nona Regional Chamber of Commerce organizes Taste of Nona and has run it since 2013.
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