Americans love their food. Whether it is eating in or dining out, people across the 50 states eat well in terms of quantity and variety. According to CNBC, the average American household spends an average of $3,008 per year dining out away from home each year.
Food festivals are a great way to find new foods, flavors, and favorites. The United States is home to a number of food festivals, but only a select few can be called amazing. Here is a look at the 10 best food festivals in the US.
Also Check: The Best Food Cities in the USA
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Chicago hosts a number of big and small food festivals throughout the year. But the Taste of Chicago food festival is the main event champion of the midway.
Taste of Chicago isn’t just a major Chicago event, but it is one of the biggest food festivals in the US. An estimated 1.5 million people attended the 2018 edition.
The event stretches for five long, food glorious days. The festival takes place in downtown Chicago with food stalls situated along the lakefront.
Foodies will find a plethora of pop-up restaurants, food trucks, and celebrity chef dining experiences.
The festival takes place in mid-July, and it is perfect for foodies that want an eclectic array of munchies.
Address: 337 E Randolph Dr, Chicago, IL 60601
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Over 10,000 foodies descend on the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience. It is a mecca of food and culture that brings people together in the Big Easy.
One of the great aspects of the food festival is that all proceeds go to support several organizations.
Foodies get an amazing four-day food experience in New Orleans. The festival not only has world-class food and wine on the menu, but there are also cooking classes visitors can attend.
Address: 1307 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd Suite 303F, New Orleans, LA 70113
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The Eat Drink SF food festival is a decade old, but it continues to introduce new attendees to world-class restaurants.
The festival is perfect for foodies who love a little bit of wine with their meals. The Eat Drink SF fest is great due to its variety of fine dining options.
Not only is the festival a great destination to undercover amazing foods, but it is also located in the midst of the beautiful San Francisco Bay area. The atmosphere is brilliant for a day out browsing the various food stalls.
The 2021 Eat Drink SF food festival will take place in August and is one of the best food festivals in the US to be attended by every food lover.
Address: Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA 94109
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The Picklesburgh Festival offers a unique taste of Pittsburgh. Held in July, the Picklesburgh Festival revolves around the city’s history and love affair with pickles.
The food festival is popular for families as attendees can participate in games and various activities along with sampling delicious pickle-centric foods.
The Picklesburgh Festival is only in its fifth year, but its popularity continues to grow as chefs from amateur to professional take part.
Address: Roberto Clemente Bridge, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
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While some food festivals have a separation between food lovers and ritzy chefs, the LA Food Fest brings cuisine back to the masses.
The LA Food Fest is affordable and offers a variety of gastronomic delights, from food trucks to pop-up food stalls.
The great food fest recognizes smaller, indie restaurants and chefs. Fest-goers can also enjoy live music and DJs spinning records throughout the festivities.
Address: Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, CA 91007
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The Barbecue Festival may have a simple name, but it offers foodies the chance to eat some of the best BBQ in the world.
Located in Lexington, North Carolina, the Barbecue Festival takes place every October and draws thousands of BBQ connoisseurs.
Lexington claims it is the Barbecue Capital of the World and there are plenty of foodies who agree with the statement.
Visitors must come hungry as there is an endless BBQ line, games, and pig races. It is a perfect day of pork, beef, and chicken in the heart of Dixie.
Address: 1 S Main St, Lexington, NC 27292
Is there another state in the Union that does lobster better than Maine? No, that is why the Maine Lobster Festival is a must for anyone who calls themselves a seafood lover.
The food festival attracts around 30,000 people a year who sample local seafood favorites.
Located in Rockland, the Maine Lobster Festival is all about the bounty of the sea.
Whether you are a lobster aficionado or new to eating cold-water crustaceans, you will find the best seafood around at the Main Lobster Festival.
Address: 1 Pleasant St, Rockland, ME 04841
Held in New Orleans’ Wolden Park, the National Fried Chicken Fest brings the No. 1 southern food to the masses.
The festival takes place in late September in the Big Easy and provides free admission to southern fried foodies.
Whether you want to sample classic friend chicken or more upscale recipes, you can find it all at the food festival.
The two-day outdoor event has more than 35 restaurants, music, cooking demonstrations, family-friendly activities, and a belt-blowing fried chicken finger eating contest for fest-goers.
This amazing food festival in the US is sure to give you a day full of fun with a lot of finger-licking food.
Address: Woldenberg Park, New Orleans, Louisiana
Despite being created in Hamburg, Germany, there is nothing more American than the hamburger.
Each year, the National Hamburger Festival hits Akron, Ohio and connoisseurs of hamburgers sample some of the world’s greatest meaty meals.
After 12 years of being an annual event in downtown Akron, the National Hamburger Festival took a year off in 2018.
It will return in August 2021 with more hamburger goodness. Attendees better go hungry because there will be plenty of burgers to go around.
Address: 200 S Main St, Akron, Ohio 44308
Buffalo wings are an iconic American bar food that has become synonymous with the country as apple pie and baseball.
The National Buffalo Wing Festival celebrates the beautiful food in the home of wings, Buffalo, New York, every Labor Day weekend.
The festival started in 2002 and sees 80,000-plus wing fanatics attend the weekend-long extravaganza.
The food festival has a wing eating contest that sees just how many wings one individual can ingest. The event also has entertainment for people of all ages.
Address: Coca-Cola Field, Buffalo, NY
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