5 Best Food Festivals in the United States

BB&T Charleston Wine and Food Festival

March 5-8, 2015

A celebration of Charleston’s culinary excellence and renowned culture, this food festival is more than just incredible cuisine – it’s profits benefit scholarship programs for the culinary and hospitality workplace. Hang out in Culinary Village, home to the Grand Tasting Tent with over 40 food and beverage vendors from across the country, get some hands-on experience in the Culinary Hub with interactive demonstrations and panels, or explore the Outdoor Living + Grilling Area with tastings and demos, Whole Foods Market Wine Shop and the all-new Southern Season Open Air Artisan Market.

Austin Food and Wine Festival

April 25-27, 2014

Mixing music and feasts in a way only Austin could, this fest dedicated to fostering innovation in the Central Texas culinary community through grants, educational programming and events goes off with a bang – by Rocking Your Taco. That’s right, any chef in the area can enter to be deemed taco queen or king of Texas, while everyone in attendance can taste test. It sounds like a tasty experiment!

Vegas Uncork’d

May 8-11, 2014

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, and their food festival is no exception. Packed with celebrity chefs, master sommeliers, and cutting-edge mixologists, these professionals gather throughout Vegas’ top resorts to give fans an exclusive opportunity to not only taste their food but to rub elbows with them throughout four days of events. Guest stars include Bobby Flay, Guy Savoy, Gordon Ramsey and every other chef you’ve seen with their own show on the Food Network.

New Orleans Food and Wine Experience

May 21-24, 2014

Attracting over 10,000 gourmands, art and music lovers year after year, this event features over 1,000 wines from around the world for attendees’ tasting pleasure. Take a Royal Street Stroll past the fabulous antique, art, jewelry, clothing, photography and memento shops, stopping at each block to have a glass of wine while you browse.

Taste of Chicago

July 9-13, 2014

One of the few free-admission food festivals, Taste of Chicago also claims the title of “nation's premier outdoor food festival.” Held over a 5-day span in the massive Grant Park, attendees can try over 200 different menu items from a variety of cuisines like American, Indian, Italian, French, Chinese, Irish and African. After munching, they can head over to the Petrillo Music Shell for live music.