USA: the food festivals no foodie wants to miss

Numerous recipes, various flavors and infinite combinations: the culinary culture in the USA includes a lot of iconic dishes that make it stand out. From the Rocky Mountains region and its meat-based menu to the diverse approaches to seafood in the New England and in the Pacific Coast areas, you can find a lot of international influences that mix with the local ingredients to bring out a tasteful bite. Food festivals celebrate this gastronomic landscape. Which are the festivals that are highlighted in every foodie calendar? Some examples include:

Famous Food Festivals in USA

Are you planning your food tour in the USA? If you like food festivals, here are some dates to keep in mind:

Taste of Chicago

This event takes place in Grant Park (near Lake Michigan) in Chicago, Illinois. Since its first event, in 1980, it has become one of the largest food festivals in the world.

Food vendors from almost a hundred local restaurants, music and entertainment have made this festival almost a compulsory stop in any food tour USA. The celebration is a display of the Windy City’s culinary scene, with icons such as Chicago-style hot dogs and deep-dish pizza. 

Maine Lobster Festival

If you go to Maine, make sure you try its seafood. And if you go during August, make sure you go to Rockland’s Harbor Park and try Maine Lobster Festival. While lobster is the main local icon (lobster bisque, lobster rolls and many more), this event showcases a whole variety of seafood, alongside the renowned amateur chef seafood cooking contest, the famous road race (you can try 10 or 5K) and the numerous alternatives from local artists.

Gilroy Garlic Festival

Gilroy, located in California, is also known as the “Garlic Capital of the World”. It is no surprise, then, that the food festival that takes over the city (particularly over Christmas Hill Park) is named after the famous ingredient. The event was first held in 1979 and has become a celebration that gathers people from over the world. Here, you will be able to find garlic-based recipes that go up to garlic ice cream, as well as the popular garlic themed cook-off. Some have pointed toward the California Garlic Festival, held in Las Banos, as a successor of the Gilroy event.

Aspen Food and Wine Classic

For either locals or tourists that visit Colorado, is there something more iconic than the Rocky Mountains? Yes, the Food & Wine Classic, held in Aspen. Some call it “the grandaddy of them all”, for it has been periodically held over four decades without losing its prestige. Tasting events, beverage seminars and cooking demonstrations: go deep into the two hundred wine brands and the wide variety of food that this celebration has to offer.

Epcot Universal Food and Wine Festival

You can find a bite of all six continents at this event, held in Disney World’s Epcot Park in Bay Lake, Florida. It made its debut in 1996 and it became a synonym of fine cuisine and a large offer of kiosks (more than 30), where you can find recipes from all around the world.

Austin Food and Wine Festival

If you want a bite of Texan cuisine (from the iconic BBQ to beer and wine), this is the festival for you. Tasting tents, top chefs and live music light up the Auditorium Shores during this three-day experience.

National Buffalo Wing Festival

You already know the buffalo wing (that chicken wing that is deep fried and coated in sauce made out of vinegar, melted butter and cayenne pepper hot sauce, often served with carrot sticks, celery and ranch or blue cheese dressing), but do you know how far the variations of the recipe can go? In this festival, over 50000 people come from over 40 different countries to taste this iconic dish, enjoy the live music, the wing-eating contests (such as the XXXHot Wing Eating Contest) and even the costume pageant for kids.

Vermont Cheese Festival

As the name suggests, this event is perfect for cheese lovers. Local cheese artisans and cheesemakers gather (usually towards the end of summer) to talk about the cheesemaking process and to present their products.

Food festivals mix entertainment with the very best of the culinary culture in each city and have become a compulsory stop for any food lover. Make sure not to miss this celebration of tradition and flavor.