Festivals are the best place to enjoy good music, local entertainment, rich culture and traditions, and most importantly, bonding moments with loved ones. What makes a celebration even more satisfying is the presence of food, all the more when the festival is all about food itself.
Food festivals abound worldwide, but in the United States, they seem to be a staple because there are so many of them all year round. Every state has some good food to offer, and those who want to fill their tummies just need to choose where to go. There are festivals for barbecues, vegetables, fruits, and even vegetarian cuisines. Cravings are easily satisfied in the US.
10 The Taste: Los Angeles
The Taste is a three-day Los Angeles Times-promoted event that features the best food and drink in South California. Thanks to the mish-mash of cultures in the region, SoCal offers a buffet of food that will satisfy any type of eater.
From Cobb salad to Mexican treats, SoCal knows how to satisfy foodies. Those who want to chow and eat some more can do just that at The Taste. More than 40 local restaurants join this annual gathering, all ready to serve guests a gastronomic experience like no other.
9 New Orleans Wine And Food Experience
Wine connoisseurs will have a fun time tasting their favorite drinks at the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience. Even casual wine drinkers will enjoy going around this food event knowing that it’s for a good cause. This New Orleans gathering knows how to make good food last by sharing blessings with the community.
This annual event offers dinners, wine competitions, and an award gala, so those who want to mingle with other wine lovers should not miss it. If other connoisseurs are up for the challenge, they can join the contest, too. Food banks and culinary schools offer their gratitude to foodies who want to join the fun at the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience.
8 The Bite Of Oregon
Considered the largest culinary event in the state, the Bite of Oregon aims to share with residents and tourists alike the area’s rich gastronomic culture. Other food festivals are flooded with foreign food, but this Beaver State celebration is all about the locals.
Homegrown restaurants, breweries, and wineries join the Bite of Oregon to showcase their offerings. Even picky eaters will probably have a satisfying time tasting treats and munching Dungeness crab, chicken wings, marionberry pies, and many more. With a hefty serving of food, the Bite of Oregon might as well be named Bites.
7 Taste Of Chicago
Taste of Chicago might as well be considered the best food festival because it’s the largest in the world. It’s also the largest festival in the city, with more than three million hungry tourists visiting it each year. It’s one jam-packed event made possible by delicious fares.
It has been around since the 80s and continues to grow and it now has concerts and chef demonstrations. With over 200 menus from restaurants, wineries, food trucks, bakeries, chocolatiers, and breweries, no wonder the Taste of Chicago is popular even for foreign tourists.
6 Taste Of Vail
More than 80 restaurants and wineries join the Taste of Vail in Colorado, one of the country’s best spring food festivals. The town is famous for its ski area, so guests will have a scenic view of the mountains while treating their palates.
There’s something for everyone in this foodie paradise, and wine tasters are the luckiest. Restaurateurs and beverage makers flock to his iconic Vail event knowing that gourmets are ready to try new offerings and then some. In Vail, nothing’s in vain.
5 Eat Drink SF
The Golden City’s cuisine is not to be overlooked, too. With Eat Drink San Francisco, anyone, from toddlers to seniors, can have a palatable experience that they’ll need more plates – so it’s a “platable” experience, frankly.
The flavors of SF are unmatched and always improving since it is considered a foodie city. More than 200 restaurants and winemakers join this gastronomic gathering, some of the big names in the industry. Guests might even get lucky if A-lister chefs present a demo onstage. If the taste buds are ready, it’s time for tourists to eat, drink, and be merry in San Francisco.
4 Picklesburgh Festival
It might not be for everybody, but Picklesburgh Festival in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania can be banded among the country’s best food festivals. It’s voted as the best specialty food fest in the nation, so it’s worth a try.
Not everyone loves pickles, but the pickling industry is thriving. Statistics say Americans munch 26 billion pickles a year, so it remains a favorite, especially among sandwich and burger lovers. It’s their chance to enjoy this sweet and sour treat in this enticing event. There's even a pickle juice drinking contest. If someone’s in a pickle, in Pittsburgh, to be exact, then they might be having a good time.
3 Lexington Barbecue Festival
It’s a must for barbecue lovers to visit Lexington, North Carolina, considered the BBQ capital of the world. It has a barbecue festival that has been around since the early 80s, attracting around 200,000 visitors yearly.
The city is proud of its BBQ heritage that they even have a historic barbecue trail. There are various ways to barbecue, many of which are practiced in Lexington. Western or eastern-style, it’s not a problem because, in Lexington, the skewers are always ready.
2 Maine Lobster Festival
The lobsters of Maine are popular, much so that they have a five-day festival to flaunt this king of crustaceans. Sure, crabs are tasty, but they're nothing compared to a lobster’s meat. Snapper-sized or jumbo, a lobster is always welcome to the tummy.
Lobster fishing is a well-regulated industry in the north, and visitors to the Maine Lobster Festival will see how the locals are proud of their products. In Pine Tree State, lobster is the Maine event. Who doesn’t love this seafood, anyway?
1 National Hamburger Festival
The hamburger is a worldwide phenomenon, and in Akron, Ohio, there’s a festival dedicated to this timeless comfort food. This weekend celebration gathers different burger joints in the region, some engaging in a cookoff.
It also has a burger eating competition and even a pageant. It’s burger galore at this festival, so double-patty lovers or veggie enthusiasts will have something to try on in this hamburger bonanza. Cheese over cheese, with tender beef, or filled with coleslaws, the burgers in Ohio are bravo, bravo, bravo!