12 Best US Food Festivals You Should Add To Your Bucket List ASAP

Food seems to taste better when enjoyed outside, surrounded by the sounds of live music, the warm glow of outdoor lighting, and the rush of excitement from a crowd. There is no better place to sample local cuisine than at a food festival, where you can try out several different dishes and specialty drinks all in one location. These festivals come in especially handy in food destinations such as New Orleans and New York City, where trying out all of the mouthwatering local delicacies would typically take days or even weeks. Food festivals allow you to finally taste the items that have been at the top of your must-try list forever.

From top to bottom and coast to coast, the U.S. is overflowing with noteworthy food festivals all year long. Foodies flock from all over to attend these culinary celebrations, and you should add them to your bucket list, as well. Whether you crave fresh seafood near the ocean or the best Southern fried chicken in the country, you'll find it in this taste-tempting compilation. These food festivals are a reflection of the destination's culture and take pride in serving up local produce and other specialties with a side of music, live entertainment, and family-friendly activities.

Held annually during the first full weekend in March, the expansive Charleston Wine + Food event celebrates all things coastal South Carolina. The culinary festival spans five days, and was founded in 2005 as a way to spotlight Charleston's impressive food and wine scene.

The festival calls on top chefs, innovative winemakers, authors, artists, food experts, and foodies to help make it an event worth traveling far and wide to experience. Festival attendees can expect to the unique flavors of the city, as well as the entire state, as they nibble on Southern delights such as shrimp and grits, cornbread, fried green tomatoes, frogmore stew, and she-crab soup, which is a delightful blend of heavy cream, Atlantic blue crab meat, fish or chicken stock, and spices.

The Culinary Village is the heart of the festival and invites event-goers to snack and sip on local treats and drinks, take part in chef demos, listen to live music, and shop for goodies made by local artisans. Tickets are required for Culinary Village entrance, and include all activities, as well as food and drink samples. Other festival events include local, regional, and international food demos, chef conversations, baking workshops, wine tastings, and traditional Lowcountry clambakes.

As if Miami's famed South Beach doesn't attract enough people with its powdery white sand and expanse of turquoise blue water, it also tempts visitors with the annual South Beach Food & Wine Festival. This four-day event takes place each February and features the world's most famous wine and spirits producers, as well as renowned chefs and culinary experts, such as Rachael Ray, Kardea Brown, Guy Fieri, Alex Guarnaschelli, and Bobby Flay. Attendees can also enjoy live music by Grammy-winning artists and meet-and-greets with popular lifestyle personalities.

The festival also offers more than 100 special events, most of which attendees can access with purchased tickets. Some of these exciting events include luxurious Champagne and caviar happy hours, dinners hosted by well-known chefs, fashion shows, and the popular Stone Crab Sail, a picturesque boat ride offering sunset views and local cuisine. When attending this star-studded food festival, prepare to sample fresh seafood prepared in a variety of ways, as well as desserts and cocktails made with local tropical fruits. Miami is also known for its flavorful Cuban cuisine, which you can sample throughout the event. Since the festival takes place directly on the beach, don't forget to bring along your swimming suit and plenty of sunscreen. The South Beach Wine & Food Festival also offers several onsite and two online auctions to win luxury vacations, hard-to-find wine and spirits, and gourmet dinners at local restaurants.

Affectionately dubbed "The Feast of all Feasts," the Feast of San Gennaro takes place on the streets of New York City's Little Italy neighborhood each September. This food-centered festival honors the life of San Gennaro of Naples, the Bishop of Benevento who was martyred in 305 A.C.E. The annual feast began as a humble block party in 1926, when Italian immigrants living in Manhattan's Lower East Side decided to honor the patron saint, San Gennaro. Today, the food festival stretches across 11 city blocks for 11 days.

The feast is known for its lively atmosphere filled with upbeat music, family-friendly activities, cultural events, and food that celebrates the Italian-American heritage, especially the Neapolitan traditions. Event-goers can mix and mingle on the festive streets while sampling local culinary delights such as sausage and peppers, sweet zeppoles, homemade pasta dishes made with local ingredients, and of course, New York-style pizza. This is a plus because New York City officially has the best pizza in the world. The event also features live music and performances, karaoke night, and various amusement park rides, including a Ferris wheel.

Tucked into New Orleans' famous and historic French Market, the annual Creole Tomato Festival is a one-of-a-kind Louisiana event. The festival takes place each June, when full-flavored and succulent local Creole tomatoes are most plentiful. Grown in the sandy and silty alluvial soil along the Mississippi River, Creole tomatoes are known for their rich, earthy flavor, and their namesake festival allows them to shine in a variety of ways. True Creole tomatoes are grown in just a small region of Louisiana, just below the expansive Lake Pontchartrain, so they're a delicacy enjoyed by just a select few who travel to the area.

Festival-goers can buy crates of the juicy, delicious tomatoes to take home and slice up for sandwiches or enjoy with just a sprinkle of salt and pepper, as well as nibble on treats offered by one of the many food booths. Some event menu highlights include Creole tomato jambalaya, fried green tomatoes with shrimp remoulade, a spicy Thai Creole tomato and papaya salad, and traditional po'boys featuring the juicy star of the show. Although the festival takes place during the sultry New Orleans summer, adult attendees are encouraged to cool off with a signature Creole tomato bloody Mary. Family-friendly activities include kids' games and crafts. Festival-goers can also attend a Southern Food & Beverage Museum cooking demonstration and live musical performances by local bands. After enjoying the event, take a stroll through the city's famed French Quarter or take a walk along the nearby Mississippi River.

Since its inception in 1989, the Charlotte Wine & Food Week has been bringing the eclectic North Carolina culinary scene to the attention of foodies from all over the country. Top chefs work with renowned regional vintners to create food and wine pairings that will delight attendees of this annual event. The festival typically hosts a weeklong online charity auction and the Collectors Gala and Live Auction, which was designed for wine connoisseurs. The event's signature Grand Tasting experience features over 100 wine samples from restaurants based in Charlotte and the surrounding area, as well as live music.

Festival attendees can sign up for a variety of special events, such as vineyard tours and wine tastings, multi-course gourmet dinners at the area's top restaurants, a wine brunch featuring eats from around the world, and chef meet-and-greets. Food enthusiasts can sample all of region's noteworthy dishes, including North Carolina-style barbecue, which is characterized by two different styles: the Eastern vinegar-based sauce, and the Lexington/Piedmont vinegar- and tomato-infused sauce. You may also sip on some locally produced Cheerwine or enjoy homegrown collard greens in a myriad of ways. For those not familiar with the Southern staple, discover why collard greens are a different type of root vegetable.

Known as the premier culinary destination event in the Pacific, the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival spans three weekends on three of Hawaii's islands: the Big Island, Maui, and Oahu. The food festival celebrates the state's rich agricultural history, as well as local culinary talent with a variety of unique experiences, including decadent wine dinners, wine seminars and tastings, and even cooking classes for kids. Attendees are treated to taste-tempting local dishes, drinks, and desserts infused with locally grown produce such as mangos, pineapples, lychees, papayas, and guava. The state's ranchers, farmers, and fishermen will also showcase their goods throughout the event.

In past years, the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival has welcomed approximately 6,000 guests, over 200 local and national culinary talents, and almost 15 individual special events. Some popular local treats that you may be able to sample throughout the festival include Kalua pig, coconut-based haupia desserts, poke bowls loaded with fresh fish, and refreshing shave ice topped with poi, a subtly sweet traditional Hawaiian food made from taro root.

A city already known for its lengthy list of creative culinary events, New Orleans added the National Fried Chicken Festival to its roster. Every bit as decadent and delicious as it sounds, this event attracts nationwide foodies who want to sink their teeth into crispy, Southern fried chicken. This specialty food festival takes place each October, and features a fried chicken competition that is judged by a highly esteemed mix of food critics, chefs, journalists, and culinary influencers. More than 40 local restaurants have competed in the past, winning awards for the best fried chicken, the best use of chicken in a dish, and several other categories.

As if endless amounts of crunchy, perfectly seasoned fried chicken isn't enough reason to attend this event, it also treats attendees to live entertainment from popular local and national bands, and various family-friendly activities. If chicken isn't your thing, you can also sample other local delights, including Cajun and Creole dishes, fried seafood-stuffed po'boys, and a variety of vegan and vegetarian options.

Every April, Los Angeles serves up a star-studded lineup of local pizza options at the mouthwatering Pizza City Fest. Southern California's best pizza is available for noshing at this two-day event, which takes place at downtown Los Angeles' L.A. Live entertainment venue. The vast region is so spread out that having the opportunity to try the area's top-rated pizza options in one location is convenient. Pizzerias and restaurants make their pizzas onsite, and attendees can enjoy soda, water, beer, wine, and cocktails to wash all of the cheesy goodness down.

In addition to the area's best pizza, the event also offers opportunities to see live pie-making demos and attend panel discussions featuring popular chefs and culinary experts. Past demonstrations have included making pizza in gas, wood, and electric ovens, and mastering pizza dough from two differing pizza expert perspectives. Several ticket options are available and feature benefits such as unlimited pizza and beverages, assorted sides and desserts, reserved seating at seminars and demos, and exclusive access to a VIP lounge, depending on what package you purchase.

Nestled in the rolling hills of Bardstown, Kentucky, otherwise known as the "Bourbon Capital of the World," the Kentucky Bourbon Festival began as a way to celebrate National Bourbon Heritage month. The boozy event takes place each September, and is designated for adults aged 21 years and up only. More than 60 regional distilleries, including the James B. Beam Distilling Co., Makers Mark Distillery, and Angels Envy Distillery, participate in the event and bring their locally produced spirits to the three-day party.

The festival takes place on the Kentucky Bourbon Festival Grounds, and offers over 12 food trucks serving up the region's most popular snacks and dishes. Specialty events, including the World Championship Bourbon Barrel Relay, a bourbon barrel rolling competition, and the vintage bourbon auction in the Oscar Getz Whiskey Museum, are free with the cost of admission. There are several ticket packages available, but all include bourbon samples from participating distillery booths, a tasting glass to take home, and unlimited re-entry to the festival grounds. The annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival Distiller Dinner takes place at Savor at River House and features inventive cuisine and views of the Kentucky Derby Festival's steamboat race on the Ohio River.

Each June, the Georgia Peach Festival celebrates all things related to the fuzzy, sweet fruit. The food event is divided between the towns of Fort Valley and Byron, and is spread out over two weekends. Known as a specialty food festival, the culinary celebration offers up Georgia's succulent produce in a wide variety of ways, ranging from savory to super-sweet. The event's claim to fame is having the world's largest peach cobbler, which is baked in an 11-by-5-foot pan and features an impressive 90 pounds of butter and 150 pounds of sugar.

This weeklong event draws in about 10,000 visitors each year and is Georgia's only state-sanctioned food festival. In addition to pies and cobblers, peach-lovers can sample freshly made ice cream, jam and preserves, as well as other locally produced delicacies. The festival offers no shortage of family-friendly activities, musical acts, and live entertainment. Helicopter rides are available, and the event ends with a fireworks show. If you bring home too much fresh produce from the event, here's how to freeze deliciously ripe summer peaches for a rainy day.

Located in a small Wisconsin town known as "America's Little Switzerland," the New Glarus Beer, Bacon, and Cheese Festival stands out as one of the state's best food fairs. The town is home to the New Glarus Brewing Co., which produces craft beer using seasonal local produce such as cranberries and cherries. These artisan brews are at the heart of the food festival, along with famous Wisconsin cheese and sizzling slabs of bacon. Food lovers can walk through downtown New Glarus, stopping to sample a variety of ales, as well as slices of cheddar, Havarti, Monterey Jack, and other types of locally produced cheese. While bacon is one of the stars of the show, a variety of meats are available.

All-access wristbands must be purchased online in advance, and they allow festival-goers to sample all of the goodness offered. The festival offers both regular and non-drinker wrist bands available to accommodate everyone in your group. Local boutiques and eateries line the streets of New Glarus and are typically open during the event. Swing by the Polkafest, which takes place at the same time and place as the New Glarus Beer, Bacon, and Cheese Festival, to work off some of the delicious local food and drinks as you dance to the sounds of local musicians.

The swampy Louisiana town of Breaux Bridge may be small, but the world-famous crawfish festival that it hosts has a large presence each May. Drawing crowds of foodies wanting to experience an authentic taste of Cajun cuisine and the region's signature freshwater crustacean, the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival dates back to 1960. While attending this three-day festival, you'll have a chance to try crawfish prepared in a wide range of dishes, such as étouffée, bisque, pie, gumbo, and even fried and stuffed into a loaf of French bread with other traditional po'boy ingredients. If you don't like crawfish, you can still sample other popular Louisiana dishes and treats, such as boudin, a traditional of Cajun sausage, gator, and a steaming bowl of red beans and rice (even if it isn't Monday). For those new to this type of cuisine, here is a 60-second intro to Cajun food.

The festival is known for its lively entertainment and offers a full musical line-up for attendees to enjoy. Dance to the sounds of local bands playing everything from zydeco to swamp pop, and watch or partake in Cajun dance contests. Music workshops, cooking demos, and dance lessons are also available in the heritage tent. Other uniquely Louisiana events that you can experience at the festival include crawfish races, which feature numbered little crustaceans racing towards the finish line, and a mouthwatering crawfish étouffée cook-off. The celebrity crawfish eating contest is another event highlight, as is the festive parade that closes out the festival at the end of the weekend.