Many states throw incredible food festivals that celebrate their best produce and local delicacies. Many of these food festivals are accompanied by outdoor concerts, family-friendly activities and even cooking demos. So mark your calendars and book your vacation leaves—these are just some of the events you can look forward to during the summer.
From June 3 to 11, Fort Valley in Georgia is one big party. There are arts and crafts fairs, concerts, a spectacular fireworks display, and the mother of all desserts: a 5 x 11 peach cobbler. It’s already considered the world’s largest peach cobbler! Check out the website, gapeachfestival.com, for more info.
From June 24 to July 3, Chicago attracts about 2.5 million of tourists, who flock to the Chicago food festival. There you’ll find hundreds of different dishes and concerts galore. Families with young kids will also find plenty of child-friendly games and fun crafts. Want a taste of Chicago? Go to tasteofchicago.us and get the details!
Corinth, Mississippi’s annual Slugburger Festival, held every July 7 to 9, showcases a carnival, concerts, and a cool Slug Idol singing contest. And no, you won’t eat slugs: this delicacy is actually made from beef and soy meal. Go to slugburgerfestival.com for more details.
Love cheese? Go to the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival, held every year at Shelburne on July 24. More than 40 local creameries join forces to create a huge cheese tasting party with over 100 cheeses as well as artisan breads, meats, and a cheesemaking demo. Get the full info on vtcheesefest.com
You’ve heard how garlic is good for the heart, right? Well your heart’s going to love the Gilroy Garlic Festival, held in Gilroy, California from July 29-31. The food festival features hundreds of dishes, from staples like garlic bread to more creative combos like garlic ice cream and garlic frog legs. Don’t forget to bring your mouthwash!
Over 20,000 pounds of lobster are cooked at the Maine Lobster festival, held in Rockland from August 3 to 7. They’re all perfectly prepared, and when you’re stuffed to the gills, you can enjoy the other entertainment, including parades, tours of the navy ship, and fun contests! Try running across submerged crates at the Lobster Crate race, or join codfish carrying competitions. Go to mainelobsterfestival.com
If you’re after a crazy time, attend Pittson, Pennsylvania’s Tomato Festival on August 18 to 21. There’s a tomato fight! Not exactly ‘clean’ fun, but definitely memorable. There are also concerts and parades. Go to pittstontomatofestival.com for more info.
And you can’t miss the United States’ largest rib cook-off. Over 100 tons of ribs are cooked and sold at Sparks, Nevada’s much-anticipated event, held every August 31 to September 5. Join the rib eating contest and eat as many as you can for 12 minutes. You may be able to beat the current record of 9.8 pounds. Check out nuggetribcookoff.com for more info.
Photo from seriouseats.com