food festivals, where are they?
 

I would love to take my vacation time and go to different food festivals/cookoffs/competitions. Who has been to what? It sounds like fun to try different samples and vote on your favorites!

Don't know if this is what you are looking for but every year Epcot does its annual wine and food festival. I believe it is from mid Sept.-mid Oct. I hear great reviews for it, some go every year. If you visit the disboards.com you can get and ask plenty of info if this is something you are interested in.

Seattle has the annual "Bite of Seattle"

Like Barbeque? Try the Lexington Barbeque Festival in Lexington, NC

Best In The West Rib Cook-off, Sparks (Reno) NV. 25 cookers from all over the country..Labor Day weekend, from Thursday through Monday.

Another vote for the month long International Food & Wine Show at The World Showcase at Epcot.

Everybody who is anyone in the F&B world shows up.

and of course....tah dah...every April we have the Waikiki Spam Jam here in Honolulu. yummers!

there is a "Rib Fest" that travels to differnet cities. It was here in St. Louis this summer. Peter Frampton played there. It brought me back to 1976 - when I graduated 8th grade!

There is a Horseradish festival in Granite City, IL - largest producer in the world apparently!

There are tons of chili cook-offs in STL throughout the year.

The FoodNetwork features these cook-offs all the time. Maybe you could do a search on their web site.

I just posted about Epcot's event. The Saturday "Party For the Senses" is some of the best food/wine I've ever had in a large venue. Here in Louisville, we have a wonderful "Taste of Derby" in April. The Wine Spectator Magazine does a 'Grand Tour" each year, usually in Vegas and Chicago or New Jersey.Each wine poured has an over 90 point rating. Good stuff and good food, too. We did Taste of Chicago once, but oh my that was a crowded, hot event and nowhere to sit or cool off.

Try this site: festivals.com

I agree with you about the Taste, LLinda. The only time in my life I've ever felt claustrophic while I was outdoors was at the Taste! However, my son and his friends went down on the 4th or 5th (don't remember for sure which, but I know it was <b>after</b> the fireworks) in mid-afternoon (about 2:00 to 4:00) and they loved it. No crowds.

annesherrod, the Horseradish festival is actually held in Collinsville, not Granite City, as Collinsville is the &quot;horseradish capitol of the world&quot;. I live near Collinsville but, because of my distaste for horseradish, have never actually attended the festival.
http://www.horseradishfestival.com/

My favorite food festival has probably been Taste of Chicago. I love trying all of the great food from local restaurants!

Tracy

Austin has the Hill Country Food and Wine Festival around the second weekend of April. It's sponsored by Saveur magazine.