Alex Morgan Signs on for Del Mar Wine + Food Festival

Alex Morgan is a tad busy right now. On Tuesday, she and the USWNT face Portugal. But after the World Cup, she’s coming back to San Diego to be a part of California’s new festival—the Del Mar Wine + Food Festival (Sept. 6-11).“The energy and passion coming out of San Diego’s food scene is incredible, and this festival brings that all together,” says Morgan, who’s also captain of San Diego’s professional women’s soccer team, the Wave FC.The Del Mar Wine + Food Festival was created by a group of San Diegans, including SDM owners Claire and Troy Johnson. At the core, it’s a celebration of local food and drink people and culture—a week-long series of events at local restaurants, culminating in a two-day grand tasting at the Del Mar Polo Fields at Surf Sports Park (Sept. 9 and 10).But it’s also pulling in icons of local culture—like Morgan, the Wave FC, Drew Brees (hosting a celebrity pickleball tournament), pro-surf legend Rob Machado (hosting a beach cleanup at Moonlight Beach followed by brunch up the street).“The idea of the festival is to tell the story of San Diego and SoCal culture—and Alex is a massive part of that,” says Troy Johnson. “It’s awesome and humbling to have her and Wave FC be part of what we’re doing. The breakout success of Wave FC is one of my favorite stories to tell about our city. Every one of their games, the stadium goes nuts. I’ve got a 12-year-old daughter, to see girls her age watching these world-class athletes cheered on by thousands of people… that’s more than just ‘sports.’ It’s a great moment in culture.”

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The main event of the Del Mar Wine + Food Festival is the grand tasting weekend—Sept. 9 and 10. It gathers 80-ish of the region’s top chefs and restaurants (including two Michelin-star restaurants) and drink-makers. There will also be celebrity chefs from around the country, over 200 of the top national and international wines, pro athletes, artists, live music on double-decker buses. The event is set up to raise money for one of San Diego’s most respected food organizations helping fight hunger, Feeding San Diego.The location of the grand tasting is special to Morgan. It’s where she and Wave FC practice. A pretty iconic stretch of grass by the coast that—until this event—has never hosted this scale of a festival. The Wave FC will also host the opening-night party on Sept. 6 at Monarch Ocean Pub in Del Mar.“Soccer has taken me all over the world and introduced me to some of the most unforgettable food cultures,” says Morgan. “For my husband and me, it’s exciting to experience it and to have our daughter grow up with the same memories of local food that we’ve shared.”Tickets to the Opening Night and Grand Tasting are available now at delmar.wine.