Do you like food? If so, you’re bound to like food festivals. From food-filled marketplaces to festivals that focus on specific types of food: foodies of all ages can expect to find festivals dedicated to delicious delights from famous chefs, local chefs, and local chefs. Some festivals even focus on specific types of food, such as seafood or Korean cuisine.
Food festivals are more than just gatherings to sample delicious cuisine; they’re vibrant celebrations of culinary diversity and community spirit. From the vibrant streets of New Orleans during Mardi Gras to the colorful celebrations of Diwali in India, these festivals unite communities in a shared appreciation for food and drink. So, whether you’re sipping on craft brews at Oktoberfest or seeking an alternative to green beer on St. Patrick’s Day, there’s always something to delight the senses at the world’s most popular food festivals.
That said, there are so many unique and interesting food festivals worldwide that it can be hard to choose which ones to include on this list. But we’re sure you will agree these dishes look and taste mouth-watering!
Here Are the Most Popular Food Festivals in the World
Wildfoods Festival – Hokitika, New Zealand
These days, it’s nearly impossible to avoid wild food. You’ve probably seen mentions of it in everything from food magazines and celebrity chef’s cookbooks to food documentaries and restaurant menus. But what you might not realize is that wild food isn’t just for foodies-it also plays an important role in our modern world. There are wild food products from medicines to foods for just about anything, and in New Zealand, where wild food is a national pastime, there’s a festival to celebrate its collective power.
Annual Golden Spurtle – Cairngorms, Scotland
Golden Spurtle is the annual celebration and one of the UK’s most popular food festivals. Celebrating its 28th year in 2018, Golden Spurtle is a celebration of all things – food and drink, including beer, wine, spirits, and local produce. The festival offers delicious tastings and drinks and cooking demonstrations, seminars, and classes.
The Onion Market (Bern, Switzerland)
Bern’s The Onion Market is the world’s oldest food festival, and it’s still going strong after 900 years. The Onion Market features more than 130 stalls selling an array of sausages, cheeses, and fabulous bread. But don’t think this is just your average Austrian sausage fest-the delightful scent of cheese wafting across Bern’s city center and the sounds of people shouting “Grüß Gott!” and “Schinken! Schnitzel!” (“Cheese! Sausage!”) is music to anyone’s ears.
Watercress Festival – Hampshire, England
The River Flit, which separates Hampshire from Dorset, England, is the U.K.’s longest river. Its waters flow more than 100 miles through Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, and Berkshire. The River Flit also provides some of England’s freshest and most delicious watercress, which celebrates the River Flit Watercress Festival. The Watercress Festival features live radio broadcasts and readings of poems, as well as local food and drink. For more about the River Flit Watercress Festival, visit the festival’s Facebook page.
Salon de Chocolate – Quito, Ecuador
The Salon de Chocolate in Quito, Ecuador, is the country’s longest-running chocolate festival, and it takes place in February. The annual event officially kicks off in January with tastings and various chocolate-themed events, but the main festival portion, with chocolate sampling, is from February 6-10. Several stores in Quito offer chocolate-themed items year-round, such as chocolate fountains and candy-making classes, but Salon de Chocolate offers the biggest array of chocolate-related fun.
Bacon Festival – Sacramento, California
Bacon lovers rejoice: the Bacon Festival is coming to Sacramento! The Bacon Festival (otherwise known as the Bacon and Beer Festival) takes place on August 10th and 11th, 2018. It features the best local bacon, a variety of craft beers (where, if you’re lucky, they’ll be available via these beer tap systems so you can help yourself throughout the day), as well as live entertainment and plenty of opportunities to mingle with fellow bacon lovers. The Bacon and Beer Festival is hosting the Bacon & Brews Invitational, a bacon brewing competition to kick off the festivities. Attendees will have the opportunity to sample the bacon beer in a blind taste test on August 11th, while the winning recipe will be brewed and sold throughout 2018.
Blue Food Festival – Bloody Bay, Tobago
The Blue Food Festival in Tobago, West Indies, features some of the best seafood dishes on the island. The main event is a 10k run, but there are many other events surrounding the Blue Food Festival, including cooking, art, and fitness competitions. The small town of Bloody Bay fits impressively with the laid-back Caribbean atmosphere, and it’s a great place to have a picnic or enjoy a drink at one of the many local bars.
PoutineFest – Ottawa, Canada
Poutine, the French-Canadian dish, is Canada’s unofficial national dish, but it’s practically unknown outside of Canada. And that’s the way it should be. Cheesy French fries topped with gravy and cheese curds is a decadent dish best enjoyed with a beer, which is why an annual poutine festival in Ottawa is such a big deal. The festival, held each July, is the largest poutine event in the world, and it is so popular that it’s now expanded to other cities around the world.
Food festivals are more popular than ever these days. They can be found practically all over the world, from Denver to Dubai. They typically take multiple days. They are usually organized by food vendors. They typically feature many different kinds of foods. But what are the best food festivals in the world? And where should you plan your next trip?