Scrumptious September Food Festivals

Taste of Colorado A Taste of Colorado: September 4th – 7th Over 50 of Colorado’s favorite restaurants and food vendors will congregate at Civic Center Park in downtown Denver for A Taste of Colorado. Throughout the event, you can sample wine and beer, try small food portions or eat full meals from restaurants and delicious street food from trucks parked in the Greek Theater. The festival takes place over Labor Day weekend, on Friday from 11:30 AM – 10 PM, Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 AM – 10 PM and Monday from 10:30 AM to 8 PM. Be sure to try the chicken adobo from Orange Crunch, or fresh shark tacos from the Barbed Wire Reef. For dessert, don’t miss The Dessert Stand dishing out crazy cupcake flavors like cherry cola, dill-icious pickle and key lime pie. National Buffalo WIng Festival National Buffalo Wing Festival – September 5th – 6th Nearly 100,000 people are expected to head to the National Buffalo Chicken Wing Festival this Labor Day weekend. The festival is fittingly held in Buffalo, New York, and boasts chicken wing eating contests, live music, craft beer and chicken pairings, and over 100 chicken wing varieties to choose from. Admission is $5 and the main event takes place at Coca Cola Field on Saturday from 12 PM – 9 PM and Sunday from 12 PM – 7 PM. Be prepared to take your chicken wings seriously – since the festival began 13 years ago, 2.4 million wings have been consumed (that’s 137 tons of wings)! Plus the festival’s founder opened up America’s first and only Chicken Wing Hall of Fame in 2006, in order to solidify Buffalo as the birthplace of our nation’s favorite finger food – just a little history for you. Bring your appetite and extra napkins. The Taste - LA Times The Taste of Los Angeles: September 4th – 6th The Taste of Los Angeles was named one of Southern California’s top food and wine events by BizBash, and this year the event will draw thousands of Angelenos to five distinctive events at Paramount Pictures Studios over the holiday weekend. The celebration kicks off with “Opening Night” Friday evening from 7:30 PM – 10 PM, featuring an array of goods from chefs from over 20 restaurants. On Saturday, “Field to Fork” takes place from 11 AM – 2 PM, which is based on seasonal and locally-sourced produce, followed by “Dinner with a Twist” from 6 PM – 10:30 PM, highlighting unique dishes and cutting-edge drinks. Finish off your weekend with the “Sunday Brunch and BBQ” from 11 AM – 2 PM, where the best L.A. chefs reinvent brunch, and the “Flavors of L.A.” dinner from 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM. At this unique event, you get to tour Los Angeles without leaving Paramount’s famous backlot! Don’t miss delicious trucks like Komodo and Border Grill, who are a consistent favorites among locals. Vendy Awards NYC Vendy Awards: September 12 Discover who’s the “best of the best” in street food at the 11th annual Vendy Awards on Governors Island in New York City. Thousands of attendees will flock to the food truck cook-off competition on Saturday, September 12th from 12:30 PM – 5 PM. A ticket grants access to food from over 25 vendor finalists, all-you-can drink beverages from their bar, live entertainment and a vote! The street food vendors will compete in five different categories: Vendy Cup/People’s Choice, Rookie of the Year, Best of Market, Best Dessert and a special category for 2015. Check out finalists like Snowday, Shuka Truck, Play J and more before casting your vote! Ghirardeli Chocolate Festival Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival: September 12th – 13th Yes, a chocolate festival. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival is a San Francisco staple that’s just way too good to be true. Between the chocolate earthquake ice cream eating contest, chocolate school, the chocolate and wine pavilion and over 50 vendors, we guarantee you’ll be chocolate wasted in this chocolate heaven. The delicious event takes place Saturday and Sunday from 12:30 – 4:30 in San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square. Eat Real Festival Eat Real Fest: September 18th – 20th Oaklanders rejoice as the Eat Real Festival returns for its seventh year, showcasing the Bay’s best local goods. This can’t-miss event kicks off September 18th and runs through the 20th in Jack London Square. Get there between 1 PM – 9 PM Friday, 10:30 AM – 9 PM Saturday, and 10:30 AM – 5 PM on Sunday for a taste bud adventure you won’t feel guilty about. At the Eat Real Festival, all plates are under $8 and made only with sustainable, regionally sourced ingredients. Chat with chefs and farmers about where your food and drinks came from as you check out over 70 vendors – including breweries, wineries and dozens of food trucks. Boston Local Food Market Boston Local Food Festival: September 20th The 6th annual Boston Local Food Festival transforms The Rose Kennedy Greenway into America’s largest local and sustainable fresh food hub on Sunday, September 20th from 11 AM – 5 PM. The free celebration is themed “Healthy Local Food for All” and showcases food trucks, fishermen, farmers, and fitness experts from around Boston area. At the festival, you’ll learn from chefs during interactive workshops, play kid-friendly games, cheer at the seafood throw down competition, and enjoy $6 food servings from your favorite Northeastern chefs before relaxing in the craft beer garden. Try food from restaurants, farms, and food trucks such as Fresh Food Generation, Makin’ Jamaican and Cupcake City. Even better? The Boston Local Food Festival is a zero-waste event, meaning it diverts over 91% of its waste and offsets 100% of its energy use. abbot kinney festival 2015 Abbot Kinney Fest: September 27th Abbot Kinney Fest is a carefree beachside festival of local music, art, beer, amazing food, and good vibes. The free festival is back for its 31st year, taking place on “the coolest block in America” on Sunday, September 27th from 10 AM – 6 PM. Soak in the spirit of Venice as you stroll through 300 vendors – including kids rides and games, five live music stages, three beer gardens and tons of food trucks. Arrive early so you can experience all of the quirky delights Abbot Kinney has to offer! Taste of Atlanta Taste of Atlanta: September 25th – 27th Food lovers rejoice as the Taste of Atlanta returns to Midtown’s Tech Square on September 25, 26 and 27.  There will be over 90 restaurants and 100 libations for you to sample at the event that Oprah Magazine named “Top Festival Worth the Trip” and Eater National named “One of the Top Fall Food and Drink Events.” Between bites, check out the Bar Craft Competition, the Big Green Egg Grilling Stage, or pick up some skills at the Kitchen Workshop. Head out & grub up! – Roaming Hunger