If your family’s idea of a good time is feeding your faces with food from around the world, foods with a single ingredient in common, gourmet foods, or food made on trucks, then a food festival would be a perfect getaway. And, you wouldn’t be alone.
One-third of tourism dollars are spent on food, and 50% of travelers in 2013 sought unique dining experiences compared with 41% in 2006, according to the Global Report on Food Tourism.
It’s always nice when a local food festival pops up in your town, but why not make your love of these gastronomical gatherings into a vacation? We’ve rounded up the biggest and best food festivals for families in the U.S.
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Taste of Chicago
July 5 – 9, 2017
Billed as the world’s largest food festival, Taste of Chicago started with a bang in 1980. After convincing the city they could draw 75,000 in their first year and with just a three-block area and $150,000, the organizers outdid themselves and brought in 250,000 foodies (well before they were called that). Each year, the festival draws millions of people to Grant Park, where they find music, arts, rides, and of course, food. From food trucks to gourmet pop-ups, there’s a meal for everyone here.
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San Francisco Street Food Festival
Oct. 14 – 15, 2017
The San Francisco Street Food Festival is a gathering of food trucks and streetside vendors. It began in 2009 and swelled in popularity to accommodate 80,000 attendees in recent years. In 201, the festival was cancelled, but it’s back on for 2017. Expect new and hip small businesses at this food fair — it’s actually a fundraiser for low income business owners, a chance for vendors to get in front of new customers. You’ll find treats from a variety of American cultures, including Nepalese dumplings, Mexican huaraches, Vietnamese pho, and Southern fried chicken.
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National Cherry Festival
June 30 – July 7, 2018
One of the oldest food festivals in the U.S., the National Cherry Festival first kicked off in 1925 in Traverse, Michigan. It’s age could be partly responsible for its popularity – most people in Michigan have heard of the festival, which draws more than 500,000 every year. There are parades, pie eating contests, a road race, and an air show. Oh, and there’s food… lots of it. The dates of the festival have been moved around several times over the years, but the organizers have settled on the week surrounding Independence Day, timing that has no doubt further cemented its popularity.
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Maine Lobster Festival
August 2 – 6, 2017
A major tourist attraction, the Maine Lobster Festival began in 1947 in Rockland as a way to revitalize coastal communities. Festival goers in 2017 are expected to put away 20,000 pounds of lobster, but that’s not all. The festival has a carnival atmosphere, with rides, live music, arts and crafts, and games. But it’s a carnival unlike any other, as the main draw is pretty gourmet.
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American Royal World Series of BBQ
Aug. 31 – Sept. 3, 2017
It’s an international barbeque contest, one of the biggest. But, it’s also a rodeo, livestock show, and food festival. Located at the Kansas Speedway, the World Series of BBQ brings some 500,000 people to the area to get a taste of their favorite ribs, chicken, and brisket. You’ll see barbeque teams from around the world at this Kansas City event, and lots of sticky fingers.
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National Buffalo Wing Festival
Sept. 2 – 3, 2017
The National Buffalo Wing Festival was founded by “Wing King” Drew Cerza in Buffalo, New York, and inspired by the Bill Murray film Osmosis Jones. There are wing cooking contests, including awards for best sauce, dry rub, festival favorites, and flavor categories. But, perhaps the biggest draw of the festival is the wing eating contest, where in 2016, winner Joey Chestnut ate 188 wings in 12 minutes. But, you don’t have to go to that extreme to enjoy the finger licking goodness of this festival. Organizers say they’ve served 3 million wings to half a million attendees over the years.
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Gilroy Garlic Festival
July 28 – 30, 2017
Garlic ice cream, anyone? You may not be brave enough to try some of the fare at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in California, but there’s alot to choose from. In Gourmet Alley, you’ll find volunteers cooking up the festival’s official foods including scampi, calamari, stuffed mushrooms, garlic fries, garlic bread, and much, much more. This year, organizers estimate the festival drew more than 100,000 attendees from around the world to sample the garlic dishes and take part in the fun, games, and cooking contests.
Written by Anna Schaefer