Bank of America is tying card perks to Food Network’s 19th NYC Wine & Food Festival

Bank of America said it will offer exclusive dining and lifestyle experiences to its customers through the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival, now in its 19th year. The bank is positioning the promotion around its cardholder benefits and BofA Rewards loyalty program, aiming to connect everyday banking relationships with a high-profile, experiential consumer event in New York City.

The announcement frames Bank of America as the official bank partner of the NYC Wine & Food Festival presented by Invesco QQQ. The promotional tie-in, according to the post, is intended to give participating customers premium access to select offerings during the festival, rather than a broad public marketing campaign.

Bank of America said the benefits will be available to “cardholders and BofA Rewards members,” suggesting eligibility will likely be tied to having a qualifying Bank of America card and an active rewards account. The specific mechanics of access, such as how customers will redeem benefits, what tiers of rewards may qualify, and whether access is limited to certain credit cards or loyalty levels, were not described in the post.

The festival is presented by Invesco QQQ, which refers to the Invesco QQQ exchange-traded fund, commonly known for tracking the Nasdaq-100. Food and wine festivals are frequently used by consumer brands and financial institutions to reinforce lifestyle positioning, and this partnership follows that pattern by using entertainment and culinary programming as a customer engagement hook.

While the bank did not provide financial details, the sponsorship underscores a continuing strategy in retail banking and card issuers: using loyalty programs and branded benefits to deepen customer relationships and encourage continued use of card products. For Bank of America, a large base of retail customers and an established rewards ecosystem make event-based perks one more channel to retain attention and potentially drive higher engagement during the promotional period.

The company did not disclose the exact festival dates, the geography of any participating venues beyond New York City, the number of customers expected to receive access, or the full list of experiences included in the “premium” designation. It also did not specify whether benefits include ticketed events, behind-the-scenes access, or reserved seating, leaving many operational details to be clarified closer to the festival.

For customers, the next practical step will likely be checking Bank of America and BofA Rewards communications for eligibility requirements and redemption instructions. For the market, the broader takeaway is that major banks continue to treat consumer experience partnerships as a retention and brand-building tool, even when the announcements are light on transactional specifics.