Eat your way across America with this ultimate map of foodie celebrations.
Illustrations by Brosmind
Alabama
The Peanut
Boil Festival in Luverne includes much more than fresh goobers
every September. Go nuts for the arts and crafts, beauty pageant, car
show, and live music.
Alaska
Every May, the Kodiak
Crab Festival celebrates one of Alaska’s most sought-after food
items over five days of bacchanal, with cooking demonstrations by
Alaska chefs using locally harvested seafood and wild greens.
Arizona
Everything you always wanted to know about lettuce is
the focus of Yuma
Lettuce Days, which unfolds each February at the University of
Arizona Agriculture Center. A fresh-from-the-field salad bar
featuring locally grown head, leaf, and romaine lettuce is one of the
main attractions, but the leafy shindig also boasts cooking
demonstrations, live music, and lectures.
Arkansas
Munch on a big and crunchy fried dill and watch, or
better yet, enter the contests at Atkins
Picklefest held each May. Locals find the power to inhale sour
during the pickle-eating or pickle-juice drinking challenges.
California
Once misunderstood (too ethnic!) or even reviled
(stinky!), the boldly flavored Allium sativum has come a long
way to become an essential part of the American pantry. And no place
in America wears its garlic pride like the agricultural city of
Gilroy, the self-proclaimed “garlic capital of the world,” during
the annual Gilroy
Garlic Festival when dozens of vendors spare no flavor.
Colorado
The Great
American Beer Festival in Denver allows visitors the chance to
sample thousands of American craft beers. Judges separate the best
suds from the duds during this three-day annual event held every
fall.
Connecticut
Connecticut’s annual Milford
Oyster Festival celebrates the wealth of East Coast oysters,
harvested from Maine to Virginia. But the choicest of the 30,000
oysters (and clams) served on the half shell at this August event are
those marked with a “CT.”
Delaware
Bridgeville, Delaware, home to the nation’s largest
producer, RAPA Scrapple, goes all out with its annual Apple
Scrapple Festival each October. Find all-you-can-eat scrapple
breakfasts, scrapple carving, and scrapple chunkin’—a shot
put–style contest where participants fling packages of scrapple as
far as they can.
District of Columbia
Truckeroo
is a monthly festival held April through October at the corner of
Half Street and M Street SE, across from the Navy Yard metro station.
It brings together more than 20 food trucks for a full day of live
music, games, and tasty eats.
Florida
The annual Key
Lime Festival in Key West around July 4 includes pie cooking
demonstrations and competitions and the requisite key lime pie–eating
contest. Plus, there’s ample opportunity to sample the goods along
with key lime cocktails and locally distilled key lime rum.
Georgia
Held every June in Peach County, the weeklong Georgia
Peach Festival includes the baking—and eating—of the world’s
largest peach cobbler. The 11-by-5-foot dessert uses 75 gallons of
fresh peaches. Festival events are held in Peach County’s two
cities, Fort Valley and Byron.
Hawaii
The Kona
Coffee Cultural Festival takes place over 10 days in early
November of each year, highlighting the region’s long coffee and
cultural heritage. Daily coffee tastings, art strolls, and tours of
working coffee farms are worth the buzz.
Idaho
Potato sack races, tuber tosses, tugs-of-war over a
potato “mash pit,” and the Miss Russet beauty contest highlight
September’s Idaho
Spud Day in Shelley, on the banks of the Snake River.
Illinois
The Southern Illinois river town of Golconda throws a
jumbo-size Shrimp
Festival each September for sustainably farmed shrimp. Find
cornhole tournaments, a Little Miss Shrimp pageant, and enough shrimp
dishes to satisfy anyone's appetite.
Indiana
Persimmon passion peaks every year in September
during the fruit’s namesake
festival in Mitchell, Indiana. Expect a seriously small-town
scene, complete with a parade, a candlelight tour of the town’s
historic area, and the persimmon pudding competition.
Iowa
Bacon lovers rejoice at the Des Moines Blue
Ribbon Bacon Festival every February. Go whole hog with lectures,
eating competitions, and sizzling live entertainment.
Kansas
Proclaimed the “Spinach Capital of the World”
during the 1930s, the Kansas City suburb of Lenexa celebrates the
leafy green with a family-oriented Spinach
Festival in September. Participants try to outdo their record for
the largest spinach salad or pose for photo ops with Popeye and Olive
Oyl.
Kentucky
The World
Chicken Festival held each September in London honors Laurel
County’s fried fowl heritage, since Kentucky Fried Chicken was
invented nearby. Some 7,000 festival chicken dinners are fried
annually in what’s billed as the world’s largest stainless steel
skillet: a 700-pound pan that can cook 600 chicken quarters at a
time.
Louisiana
November’s Oak Street Po-Boy
Festival in Uptown New Orleans attracts nearly 60,000 sandwich
lovers and more than 40 vendors selling a dizzying array of delicious
po’boys stuffed with everything from German goulash to fried Maine
lobster.
Maine
August’s blueberry harvest is a statewide
celebration, but the Wilton
Blueberry Festival is really top of the pick. The two-day event
serves up pancake breakfasts, blueberry cook-offs, and plenty of pies
to take home.
Maryland
Spice things up at the Old
Bay Festival in Cockeysvile held in June. The state's signature
flavor is showcased through competitions for the best seasoned dish
and crab races.
Massachusetts
Don’t miss the annual September What
the Fluff? festival in Somerville’s Union Square, where the
gooey treat was invented. A marshmallow toss, musical performances,
and the ultimate fluffernutter sandwiches are sure to stick.
Michigan
In early July, the eight-day National
Cherry Festival attracts half a million people to Traverse City
for events like the Cherry Pie Bike Ride (all participants get a free
slice of cherry pie), orchard tours, cherry pie–eating contests,
and the Make & Bake cherry pie workshop for children.
Minnesota
Harriet Alexander Nature Center in Roseville,
Minnesota, hosts a Native American–focused Wild
Rice Festival each September where visitors can feast on wild
rice pancakes, sausages, and “four sisters” soup made with corn,
squash, beans, and wild rice.
Mississippi
The World
Catfish Festival in Belzoni each April celebrates the city’s
1976 title as “farm-raised catfish capital of the world.” Events
include a catfish fry, live blues and gospel music, and a
catfish-eating contest.
Missouri
More than 600 teams vie every October to be top
pitmaster at the American
Royal World Series of Barbecue in Kansas City, Missouri. Juried
categories cover everything from best sauce to best brisket, plus
live entertainment and fireworks.
Montana
Pancake breakfasts and dessert contests are just part
of the huckleberry-centric fun at the Trout Creek Huckleberry
Festival each August. The community gathers for a parade,
horseshoe contests, and dancing under the stars.
Nebraska
Hastings, Nebraska, puts on a sweet face to celebrate
their invention of the flavored drink mix during Kool-Aid
Days in August. Discover collectible exhibits, photo ops with the
Man, drinking contests, and the world’s largest Kool-Aid stand.
Nevada
The culture and heritage of Greece shines at the
annual Las
Vegas Greek Food Festival in September. Attendees can join
traditional dances to work off the gyros, souvlaki, and baklava
served in abundance.
New Hampshire
The mid-October Milford
Pumpkin Festival is the destination for all things pumpkin: the
pumpkin weigh-in (winners top 1,300 pounds), the pumpkin catapult,
the pumpkin lighting, and, of course, the pumpkin pie competition.
New Jersey
Trenton recently inaugurated the annual Pork
Roll Festival to celebrate its unique culinary contribution.
Vendors sell their favorite pork roll creations against a background
of live music.
New Mexico
One of the best places to buy (and try) a wide
variety of locally grown hot things is the Viva
New Mexico Chile Festival in Los Lunas. In addition to a salsa
contest and chili cook-off, the three-day event invites chili farmers
to vend their green and red treasures at numerous stalls around the
festival grounds.
New York
Lyons, in upstate New York, honors its sweet history
as a main producer of peppermint oil during Peppermint
Days every July. Families find tractor shows, historic tours, and
amusement rides during the festival weekend.
North Carolina
Agriculture takes center stage at the Smithfield Ham
& Yam Festival in May, with pig races and barbecue cook-offs.
Hundreds of vendors gather around carnival rides and live
entertainment.
North Dakota
Dust off your horned helmet and bring a Viking-size
appetite if you’re heading to the Norsk
Høstfest in Minot, which runs late September through early
October. The five-day celebration includes concerts, dancing, and
even a folk school teaching traditional crafts, but the biggest draw
is the food since one third of North Dakotans have roots in Norway.
Ohio
The annual Ohio
Pawpaw Festival is held each September in Albany, Ohio, just 20
miles from the border with West Virginia. The three-day fete features
creative culinary inventions like pawpaw mustard, pawpaw tamales, and
even pawpaw wheat beer.
Oklahoma
Tiny Bristow is a long way from Beirut, but it has
been home to a large population of Lebanese immigrants for more than
a century. Every May they celebrate Lebanon’s signature salad at
the Tabouleh
Fest, complete with a Miss Tabouleh pageant, belly dancers, and
an all-you-can-eat Lebanese lunch prepared by local churches.
Oregon
Berry lovers rejoice in downtown Portland during July
with the Oregon
Berry Festival in full swing to highlight one of oldest berry
industries in the country. Blackberry pies compete for top prize, a
city celebrity chef hosts a gala dinner, and musicians jam out for
the occasion.
Pennsylvania
A party for bean soup is not as odd as it sounds,
since the McClure
Bean Soup Festival held in September traces its roots to
practical dinners organized by Civil War soldiers. Now baking
contests, horse shows, and garden tractor pulls bring the community
together.
Rhode Island
Clam chowder takes many forms from creamy New England
style to the tomato-based soup in New York. Vistitors can taste them
all during the Block
Island Chowda' Fest in May, when island restaurants compete for
the best bowl and a year of bragging rights.
South Carolina
The World
Grits Festival held each April in St. George celebrates the small
town’s collective appetite for grits. According to the locals, more
grits are consumed per capita here than anywhere else in the world.
The event includes the opportunity to roll in grits because . . . why
not?
South Dakota
First buffalo are coralled in Custer State Park. Then
local cooks compete during the Buffalo
Wallow Chili Cook-Off taking place every October, with plenty of
sampling opportunities for visitors.
Tennessee
The International
Biscuit Festival and the aroma of fresh-baked biscuits draws more
than 20,000 people into downtown Knoxville each May. Biscuit-based
events include a contest with several categories, including sweet and
savory, and samples for nibbling.
Texas
A 10-day salute to sausage takes place in November
during the Wurstfest
in New Braunfels. The fun links to the area's German heritage with
plenty of beer and cheer.
Utah
Contests to choose the best funeral potatoes are a
staple of the Utah
State Fair, held every September in Salt Lake City. The annual
11-day festival starting after Labor Day on historic fairgrounds also
promises best in show livestock, clowns, and deep-fried delicacies.
Vermont
The annual Vermont
Maple Festival, held in St. Albans in late April, is a
celebration of all things maple— including the end of the hectic
sugaring season—with syrup tastings and, of course, a pancake
breakfast.
Virginia
The small town of Alberta in Brunswick County,
Virginia, hosts the annual Taste
of Brunswick Festival in October. You can taste the entries from
its Brunswick Stew Cook-Off, held every fall at the 17th Street
Farmers Market, where you can buy sample- or quart-size portions of
stew from different makers.
Washington
Held each fall on the grounds of the Leavenworth
National Fish Hatchery, the three-day Wenatchee
River Salmon Festival celebrates the return of the salmon to the
sea from their freshwater spawning grounds. A collaborative project
of Native American tribes throughout the Northwest showcases
traditional fishing and cooking of salmon as well as storytelling and
handicrafts.
West Virginia
Each year, around 100,000 people descend upon the
small town of Kingwood during the final weekend of September for the
Preston
County Buckwheat Festival, including three parades, the
coronation of King Buckwheat and Queen Ceres (goddess of
agriculture), and endless stacks of buckwheat pancakes. These aren’t
your ordinary flapjacks.
Wisconsin
The kolache, a pastry pillow or pocket stuffed with a
sweet, gooey poppy seed or fruit filling, originated in Bohemia and
is now popular in places where Czech migrants settled in America. The
Agricultural Heritage Farm in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, hosts a summer
Czech
& Kolache Festival that includes polka, beer—and, of
course, lots of kolache.
Wyoming
Elk antlers are collected from the National Elk
Refuge near Jackson Hole to get the festivities started during the
May Elkfest. Then a chili
cook-off ensues, surrounded by auctions and conservation tours.
View Images
This map of state-by-state food festivals was adapted from
National Geographic's new book, Great
American Eating Experiences.PUBLISHED July 20, 2016
Illustration by Brosmind
When it comes to quirky food festivals, America stands united. Our
cross-country map of state-by-state cuisine celebrations, adapted from
National Geographic's new book, Great American Eating Experiences,
takes you from Massachusett's fluffernutter fest to a garlic gathering
in California (breath mints recommended). Plan a food-filled road trip
to follow the locals to these top festivals highlighting regional
specialities.
Alabama
The Peanut Boil Festival
in Luverne includes much more than fresh goobers every September. Go
nuts for the arts and crafts, beauty pageant, car show, and live music.
Alaska
Every May, the Kodiak Crab Festival
celebrates one of Alaska’s most sought-after food items over five days
of bacchanal, with cooking demonstrations by Alaska chefs using locally
harvested seafood and wild greens.
Arizona
Everything you always wanted to know about lettuce is the focus of Yuma Lettuce Days,
which unfolds each February at the University of Arizona Agriculture
Center. A fresh-from-the-field salad bar featuring locally grown head,
leaf, and romaine lettuce is one of the main attractions, but the leafy
shindig also boasts cooking demonstrations, live music, and lectures.
Arkansas
Munch on a big and crunchy fried dill and watch, or better yet, enter the contests at Atkins Picklefest held each May. Locals find the power to inhale sour during the pickle-eating or pickle-juice drinking challenges.
California
Once misunderstood (too ethnic!) or even reviled (stinky!), the boldly flavored Allium sativum
has come a long way to become an essential part of the American pantry.
And no place in America wears its garlic pride like the agricultural
city of Gilroy, the self-proclaimed “garlic capital of the world,”
during the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival when dozens of vendors spare no flavor.
Colorado
The Great American Beer Festival
in Denver allows visitors the chance to sample thousands of American
craft beers. Judges separate the best suds from the duds during this
three-day annual event held every fall.
Connecticut
Connecticut’s annual Milford Oyster Festival
celebrates the wealth of East Coast oysters, harvested from Maine to
Virginia. But the choicest of the 30,000 oysters (and clams) served on
the half shell at this August event are those marked with a “CT.”
Delaware
Bridgeville, Delaware, home to the nation’s largest producer, RAPA Scrapple, goes all out with its annual Apple Scrapple Festival
each October. Find all-you-can-eat scrapple breakfasts, scrapple
carving, and scrapple chunkin’—a shot put–style contest where
participants fling packages of scrapple as far as they can.
District of Columbia
Truckeroo
is a monthly festival held April through October at the corner of Half
Street and M Street SE, across from the Navy Yard metro station. It
brings together more than 20 food trucks for a full day of live music,
games, and tasty eats.
Florida
The annual Key Lime Festival
in Key West around July 4 includes pie cooking demonstrations and
competitions and the requisite key lime pie–eating contest. Plus,
there’s ample opportunity to sample the goods along with key lime
cocktails and locally distilled key lime rum.
Georgia
Held every June in Peach County, the weeklong Georgia Peach Festival
includes the baking—and eating—of the world’s largest peach cobbler.
The 11-by-5-foot dessert uses 75 gallons of fresh peaches. Festival
events are held in Peach County’s two cities, Fort Valley and Byron.
Hawaii
The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival
takes place over 10 days in early November of each year, highlighting
the region’s long coffee and cultural heritage. Daily coffee tastings,
art strolls, and tours of working coffee farms are worth the buzz.
Idaho
Potato sack races, tuber tosses, tugs-of-war over a potato “mash pit,” and the Miss Russet beauty contest highlight September’s Idaho Spud Day in Shelley, on the banks of the Snake River.
Illinois
The Southern Illinois river town of Golconda throws a jumbo-size Shrimp Festival
each September for sustainably farmed shrimp. Find cornhole
tournaments, a Little Miss Shrimp pageant, and enough shrimp dishes to
satisfy anyone's appetite.
Indiana
Persimmon passion peaks every year in September during the fruit’s namesake festival
in Mitchell, Indiana. Expect a seriously small-town scene, complete
with a parade, a candlelight tour of the town’s historic area, and the
persimmon pudding competition.
Iowa
Bacon lovers rejoice at the Des Moines Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival every February. Go whole hog with lectures, eating competitions, and sizzling live entertainment.
Kansas
Proclaimed the “Spinach Capital of the
World” during the 1930s, the Kansas City suburb of Lenexa celebrates the
leafy green with a family-oriented Spinach Festival
in September. Participants try to outdo their record for the largest
spinach salad or pose for photo ops with Popeye and Olive Oyl.
Kentucky
The World Chicken Festival
held each September in London honors Laurel County’s fried fowl
heritage, since Kentucky Fried Chicken was invented nearby. Some 7,000
festival chicken dinners are fried annually in what’s billed as the
world’s largest stainless steel skillet: a 700-pound pan that can cook
600 chicken quarters at a time.
Louisiana
November’s Oak Street Po-Boy Festival
in Uptown New Orleans attracts nearly 60,000 sandwich lovers and more
than 40 vendors selling a dizzying array of delicious po’boys stuffed
with everything from German goulash to fried Maine lobster.
Maine
August’s blueberry harvest is a statewide celebration, but the Wilton Blueberry Festival
is really top of the pick. The two-day event serves up pancake
breakfasts, blueberry cook-offs, and plenty of pies to take home.
Maryland
Spice things up at the Old Bay Festival
in Cockeysvile held in June. The state's signature flavor is showcased
through competitions for the best seasoned dish and crab races.
Massachusetts
Don’t miss the annual September What the Fluff?
festival in Somerville’s Union Square, where the gooey treat was
invented. A marshmallow toss, musical performances, and the ultimate
fluffernutter sandwiches are sure to stick.
Michigan
In early July, the eight-day National Cherry Festival
attracts half a million people to Traverse City for events like the
Cherry Pie Bike Ride (all participants get a free slice of cherry pie),
orchard tours, cherry pie–eating contests, and the Make & Bake
cherry pie workshop for children.
Minnesota
Harriet Alexander Nature Center in Roseville, Minnesota, hosts a Native American–focused Wild Rice Festival
each September where visitors can feast on wild rice pancakes,
sausages, and “four sisters” soup made with corn, squash, beans, and
wild rice.
Mississippi
The World Catfish Festival
in Belzoni each April celebrates the city’s 1976 title as “farm-raised
catfish capital of the world.” Events include a catfish fry, live blues
and gospel music, and a catfish-eating contest.
Missouri
More than 600 teams vie every October to be top pitmaster at the American Royal World Series of Barbecue
in Kansas City, Missouri. Juried categories cover everything from best
sauce to best brisket, plus live entertainment and fireworks.
Montana
Pancake breakfasts and dessert contests are just part of the huckleberry-centric fun at the Trout Creek Huckleberry Festival each August. The community gathers for a parade, horseshoe contests, and dancing under the stars.
Nebraska
Hastings, Nebraska, puts on a sweet face to celebrate their invention of the flavored drink mix during Kool-Aid Days in August. Discover collectible exhibits, photo ops with the Man, drinking contests, and the world’s largest Kool-Aid stand.
Nevada
The culture and heritage of Greece shines at the annual Las Vegas Greek Food Festival in September. Attendees can join traditional dances to work off the gyros, souvlaki, and baklava served in abundance.
New Hampshire
The mid-October Milford Pumpkin Festival
is the destination for all things pumpkin: the pumpkin weigh-in
(winners top 1,300 pounds), the pumpkin catapult, the pumpkin lighting,
and, of course, the pumpkin pie competition.
New Jersey
Trenton recently inaugurated the annual Pork Roll Festival
to celebrate its unique culinary contribution. Vendors sell their
favorite pork roll creations against a background of live music.
New Mexico
One of the best places to buy (and try) a wide variety of locally grown hot things is the Viva New Mexico Chile Festival
in Los Lunas. In addition to a salsa contest and chili cook-off, the
three-day event invites chili farmers to vend their green and red
treasures at numerous stalls around the festival grounds.
New York
Lyons, in upstate New York, honors its sweet history as a main producer of peppermint oil during Peppermint Days every July. Families find tractor shows, historic tours, and amusement rides during the festival weekend.
North Carolina
Agriculture takes center stage at the Smithfield Ham & Yam Festival in May, with pig races and barbecue cook-offs. Hundreds of vendors gather around carnival rides and live entertainment.
North Dakota
Dust off your horned helmet and bring a Viking-size appetite if you’re heading to the Norsk Høstfest
in Minot, which runs late September through early October. The five-day
celebration includes concerts, dancing, and even a folk school teaching
traditional crafts, but the biggest draw is the food since one third of
North Dakotans have roots in Norway.
Ohio
The annual Ohio Pawpaw Festival
is held each September in Albany, Ohio, just 20 miles from the border
with West Virginia. The three-day fete features creative culinary
inventions like pawpaw mustard, pawpaw tamales, and even pawpaw wheat
beer.
Oklahoma
Tiny Bristow is a long way from Beirut,
but it has been home to a large population of Lebanese immigrants for
more than a century. Every May they celebrate Lebanon’s signature salad
at the Tabouleh Fest, complete with a Miss Tabouleh pageant, belly dancers, and an all-you-can-eat Lebanese lunch prepared by local churches.
Oregon
Berry lovers rejoice in downtown Portland during July with the Oregon Berry Festival
in full swing to highlight one of oldest berry industries in the
country. Blackberry pies compete for top prize, a city celebrity chef
hosts a gala dinner, and musicians jam out for the occasion.
Pennsylvania
A party for bean soup is not as odd as it sounds, since the McClure Bean Soup Festival
held in September traces its roots to practical dinners organized by
Civil War soldiers. Now baking contests, horse shows, and garden tractor
pulls bring the community together.
Rhode Island
Clam chowder takes many forms from creamy
New England style to the tomato-based soup in New York. Vistitors can
taste them all during the Block Island Chowda' Fest in May, when island restaurants compete for the best bowl and a year of bragging rights.
South Carolina
The World Grits Festival
held each April in St. George celebrates the small town’s collective
appetite for grits. According to the locals, more grits are consumed per
capita here than anywhere else in the world. The event includes the
opportunity to roll in grits because . . . why not?
South Dakota
First buffalo are coralled in Custer State Park. Then local cooks compete during the Buffalo Wallow Chili Cook-Off taking place every October, with plenty of sampling opportunities for visitors.
Tennessee
The International Biscuit Festival
and the aroma of fresh-baked biscuits draws more than 20,000 people
into downtown Knoxville each May. Biscuit-based events include a contest
with several categories, including sweet and savory, and samples for
nibbling.
Texas
A 10-day salute to sausage takes place in November during the Wurstfest in New Braunfels. The fun links to the area's German heritage with plenty of beer and cheer.
Utah
Contests to choose the best funeral potatoes are a staple of the Utah State Fair,
held every September in Salt Lake City. The annual 11-day festival
starting after Labor Day on historic fairgrounds also promises best in
show livestock, clowns, and deep-fried delicacies.
Vermont
The annual Vermont Maple Festival,
held in St. Albans in late April, is a celebration of all things maple—
including the end of the hectic sugaring season—with syrup tastings
and, of course, a pancake breakfast.
Virginia
The small town of Alberta in Brunswick County, Virginia, hosts the annual Taste of Brunswick Festival
in October. You can taste the entries from its Brunswick Stew Cook-Off,
held every fall at the 17th Street Farmers Market, where you can buy
sample- or quart-size portions of stew from different makers.
Washington
Held each fall on the grounds of the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, the three-day Wenatchee River Salmon Festival
celebrates the return of the salmon to the sea from their freshwater
spawning grounds. A collaborative project of Native American tribes
throughout the Northwest showcases traditional fishing and cooking of
salmon as well as storytelling and handicrafts.
West Virginia
Each year, around 100,000 people descend upon the small town of Kingwood during the final weekend of September for the Preston County Buckwheat Festival,
including three parades, the coronation of King Buckwheat and Queen
Ceres (goddess of agriculture), and endless stacks of buckwheat
pancakes. These aren’t your ordinary flapjacks.
Wisconsin
The kolache, a pastry pillow or pocket
stuffed with a sweet, gooey poppy seed or fruit filling, originated in
Bohemia and is now popular in places where Czech migrants settled in
America. The Agricultural Heritage Farm in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, hosts a
summer Czech & Kolache Festival that includes polka, beer—and, of course, lots of kolache.
Wyoming
Elk antlers are collected from the National Elk Refuge near Jackson Hole to get the festivities started during the May Elkfest. Then a chili cook-off ensues, surrounded by auctions and conservation tours.
This map of state-by-state food festivals was adapted from National Geographic's new book, Great American Eating Experiences.
Illustration by Brosmind
When it comes to quirky food festivals, America stands united. Our
cross-country map of state-by-state cuisine celebrations, adapted from
National Geographic's new book, Great American Eating Experiences,
takes you from Massachusett's fluffernutter fest to a garlic gathering
in California (breath mints recommended). Plan a food-filled road trip
to follow the locals to these top festivals highlighting regional
specialities.
Alabama
The Peanut Boil Festival
in Luverne includes much more than fresh goobers every September. Go
nuts for the arts and crafts, beauty pageant, car show, and live music.
Alaska
Every May, the Kodiak Crab Festival
celebrates one of Alaska’s most sought-after food items over five days
of bacchanal, with cooking demonstrations by Alaska chefs using locally
harvested seafood and wild greens.
Arizona
Everything you always wanted to know about lettuce is the focus of Yuma Lettuce Days,
which unfolds each February at the University of Arizona Agriculture
Center. A fresh-from-the-field salad bar featuring locally grown head,
leaf, and romaine lettuce is one of the main attractions, but the leafy
shindig also boasts cooking demonstrations, live music, and lectures.
Arkansas
Munch on a big and crunchy fried dill and watch, or better yet, enter the contests at Atkins Picklefest held each May. Locals find the power to inhale sour during the pickle-eating or pickle-juice drinking challenges.
California
Once misunderstood (too ethnic!) or even reviled (stinky!), the boldly flavored Allium sativum
has come a long way to become an essential part of the American pantry.
And no place in America wears its garlic pride like the agricultural
city of Gilroy, the self-proclaimed “garlic capital of the world,”
during the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival when dozens of vendors spare no flavor.
Colorado
The Great American Beer Festival
in Denver allows visitors the chance to sample thousands of American
craft beers. Judges separate the best suds from the duds during this
three-day annual event held every fall.
Connecticut
Connecticut’s annual Milford Oyster Festival
celebrates the wealth of East Coast oysters, harvested from Maine to
Virginia. But the choicest of the 30,000 oysters (and clams) served on
the half shell at this August event are those marked with a “CT.”
Delaware
Bridgeville, Delaware, home to the nation’s largest producer, RAPA Scrapple, goes all out with its annual Apple Scrapple Festival
each October. Find all-you-can-eat scrapple breakfasts, scrapple
carving, and scrapple chunkin’—a shot put–style contest where
participants fling packages of scrapple as far as they can.
District of Columbia
Truckeroo
is a monthly festival held April through October at the corner of Half
Street and M Street SE, across from the Navy Yard metro station. It
brings together more than 20 food trucks for a full day of live music,
games, and tasty eats.
Florida
The annual Key Lime Festival
in Key West around July 4 includes pie cooking demonstrations and
competitions and the requisite key lime pie–eating contest. Plus,
there’s ample opportunity to sample the goods along with key lime
cocktails and locally distilled key lime rum.
Georgia
Held every June in Peach County, the weeklong Georgia Peach Festival
includes the baking—and eating—of the world’s largest peach cobbler.
The 11-by-5-foot dessert uses 75 gallons of fresh peaches. Festival
events are held in Peach County’s two cities, Fort Valley and Byron.
Hawaii
The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival
takes place over 10 days in early November of each year, highlighting
the region’s long coffee and cultural heritage. Daily coffee tastings,
art strolls, and tours of working coffee farms are worth the buzz.
Idaho
Potato sack races, tuber tosses, tugs-of-war over a potato “mash pit,” and the Miss Russet beauty contest highlight September’s Idaho Spud Day in Shelley, on the banks of the Snake River.
Illinois
The Southern Illinois river town of Golconda throws a jumbo-size Shrimp Festival
each September for sustainably farmed shrimp. Find cornhole
tournaments, a Little Miss Shrimp pageant, and enough shrimp dishes to
satisfy anyone's appetite.
Indiana
Persimmon passion peaks every year in September during the fruit’s namesake festival
in Mitchell, Indiana. Expect a seriously small-town scene, complete
with a parade, a candlelight tour of the town’s historic area, and the
persimmon pudding competition.
Iowa
Bacon lovers rejoice at the Des Moines Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival every February. Go whole hog with lectures, eating competitions, and sizzling live entertainment.
Kansas
Proclaimed the “Spinach Capital of the
World” during the 1930s, the Kansas City suburb of Lenexa celebrates the
leafy green with a family-oriented Spinach Festival
in September. Participants try to outdo their record for the largest
spinach salad or pose for photo ops with Popeye and Olive Oyl.
Kentucky
The World Chicken Festival
held each September in London honors Laurel County’s fried fowl
heritage, since Kentucky Fried Chicken was invented nearby. Some 7,000
festival chicken dinners are fried annually in what’s billed as the
world’s largest stainless steel skillet: a 700-pound pan that can cook
600 chicken quarters at a time.
Louisiana
November’s Oak Street Po-Boy Festival
in Uptown New Orleans attracts nearly 60,000 sandwich lovers and more
than 40 vendors selling a dizzying array of delicious po’boys stuffed
with everything from German goulash to fried Maine lobster.
Maine
August’s blueberry harvest is a statewide celebration, but the Wilton Blueberry Festival
is really top of the pick. The two-day event serves up pancake
breakfasts, blueberry cook-offs, and plenty of pies to take home.
Maryland
Spice things up at the Old Bay Festival
in Cockeysvile held in June. The state's signature flavor is showcased
through competitions for the best seasoned dish and crab races.
Massachusetts
Don’t miss the annual September What the Fluff?
festival in Somerville’s Union Square, where the gooey treat was
invented. A marshmallow toss, musical performances, and the ultimate
fluffernutter sandwiches are sure to stick.
Michigan
In early July, the eight-day National Cherry Festival
attracts half a million people to Traverse City for events like the
Cherry Pie Bike Ride (all participants get a free slice of cherry pie),
orchard tours, cherry pie–eating contests, and the Make & Bake
cherry pie workshop for children.
Minnesota
Harriet Alexander Nature Center in Roseville, Minnesota, hosts a Native American–focused Wild Rice Festival
each September where visitors can feast on wild rice pancakes,
sausages, and “four sisters” soup made with corn, squash, beans, and
wild rice.
Mississippi
The World Catfish Festival
in Belzoni each April celebrates the city’s 1976 title as “farm-raised
catfish capital of the world.” Events include a catfish fry, live blues
and gospel music, and a catfish-eating contest.
Missouri
More than 600 teams vie every October to be top pitmaster at the American Royal World Series of Barbecue
in Kansas City, Missouri. Juried categories cover everything from best
sauce to best brisket, plus live entertainment and fireworks.
Montana
Pancake breakfasts and dessert contests are just part of the huckleberry-centric fun at the Trout Creek Huckleberry Festival each August. The community gathers for a parade, horseshoe contests, and dancing under the stars.
Nebraska
Hastings, Nebraska, puts on a sweet face to celebrate their invention of the flavored drink mix during Kool-Aid Days in August. Discover collectible exhibits, photo ops with the Man, drinking contests, and the world’s largest Kool-Aid stand.
Nevada
The culture and heritage of Greece shines at the annual Las Vegas Greek Food Festival in September. Attendees can join traditional dances to work off the gyros, souvlaki, and baklava served in abundance.
New Hampshire
The mid-October Milford Pumpkin Festival
is the destination for all things pumpkin: the pumpkin weigh-in
(winners top 1,300 pounds), the pumpkin catapult, the pumpkin lighting,
and, of course, the pumpkin pie competition.
New Jersey
Trenton recently inaugurated the annual Pork Roll Festival
to celebrate its unique culinary contribution. Vendors sell their
favorite pork roll creations against a background of live music.
New Mexico
One of the best places to buy (and try) a wide variety of locally grown hot things is the Viva New Mexico Chile Festival
in Los Lunas. In addition to a salsa contest and chili cook-off, the
three-day event invites chili farmers to vend their green and red
treasures at numerous stalls around the festival grounds.
New York
Lyons, in upstate New York, honors its sweet history as a main producer of peppermint oil during Peppermint Days every July. Families find tractor shows, historic tours, and amusement rides during the festival weekend.
North Carolina
Agriculture takes center stage at the Smithfield Ham & Yam Festival in May, with pig races and barbecue cook-offs. Hundreds of vendors gather around carnival rides and live entertainment.
North Dakota
Dust off your horned helmet and bring a Viking-size appetite if you’re heading to the Norsk Høstfest
in Minot, which runs late September through early October. The five-day
celebration includes concerts, dancing, and even a folk school teaching
traditional crafts, but the biggest draw is the food since one third of
North Dakotans have roots in Norway.
Ohio
The annual Ohio Pawpaw Festival
is held each September in Albany, Ohio, just 20 miles from the border
with West Virginia. The three-day fete features creative culinary
inventions like pawpaw mustard, pawpaw tamales, and even pawpaw wheat
beer.
Oklahoma
Tiny Bristow is a long way from Beirut,
but it has been home to a large population of Lebanese immigrants for
more than a century. Every May they celebrate Lebanon’s signature salad
at the Tabouleh Fest, complete with a Miss Tabouleh pageant, belly dancers, and an all-you-can-eat Lebanese lunch prepared by local churches.
Oregon
Berry lovers rejoice in downtown Portland during July with the Oregon Berry Festival
in full swing to highlight one of oldest berry industries in the
country. Blackberry pies compete for top prize, a city celebrity chef
hosts a gala dinner, and musicians jam out for the occasion.
Pennsylvania
A party for bean soup is not as odd as it sounds, since the McClure Bean Soup Festival
held in September traces its roots to practical dinners organized by
Civil War soldiers. Now baking contests, horse shows, and garden tractor
pulls bring the community together.
Rhode Island
Clam chowder takes many forms from creamy
New England style to the tomato-based soup in New York. Vistitors can
taste them all during the Block Island Chowda' Fest in May, when island restaurants compete for the best bowl and a year of bragging rights.
South Carolina
The World Grits Festival
held each April in St. George celebrates the small town’s collective
appetite for grits. According to the locals, more grits are consumed per
capita here than anywhere else in the world. The event includes the
opportunity to roll in grits because . . . why not?
South Dakota
First buffalo are coralled in Custer State Park. Then local cooks compete during the Buffalo Wallow Chili Cook-Off taking place every October, with plenty of sampling opportunities for visitors.
Tennessee
The International Biscuit Festival
and the aroma of fresh-baked biscuits draws more than 20,000 people
into downtown Knoxville each May. Biscuit-based events include a contest
with several categories, including sweet and savory, and samples for
nibbling.
Texas
A 10-day salute to sausage takes place in November during the Wurstfest in New Braunfels. The fun links to the area's German heritage with plenty of beer and cheer.
Utah
Contests to choose the best funeral potatoes are a staple of the Utah State Fair,
held every September in Salt Lake City. The annual 11-day festival
starting after Labor Day on historic fairgrounds also promises best in
show livestock, clowns, and deep-fried delicacies.
Vermont
The annual Vermont Maple Festival,
held in St. Albans in late April, is a celebration of all things maple—
including the end of the hectic sugaring season—with syrup tastings
and, of course, a pancake breakfast.
Virginia
The small town of Alberta in Brunswick County, Virginia, hosts the annual Taste of Brunswick Festival
in October. You can taste the entries from its Brunswick Stew Cook-Off,
held every fall at the 17th Street Farmers Market, where you can buy
sample- or quart-size portions of stew from different makers.
Washington
Held each fall on the grounds of the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, the three-day Wenatchee River Salmon Festival
celebrates the return of the salmon to the sea from their freshwater
spawning grounds. A collaborative project of Native American tribes
throughout the Northwest showcases traditional fishing and cooking of
salmon as well as storytelling and handicrafts.
West Virginia
Each year, around 100,000 people descend upon the small town of Kingwood during the final weekend of September for the Preston County Buckwheat Festival,
including three parades, the coronation of King Buckwheat and Queen
Ceres (goddess of agriculture), and endless stacks of buckwheat
pancakes. These aren’t your ordinary flapjacks.
Wisconsin
The kolache, a pastry pillow or pocket
stuffed with a sweet, gooey poppy seed or fruit filling, originated in
Bohemia and is now popular in places where Czech migrants settled in
America. The Agricultural Heritage Farm in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, hosts a
summer Czech & Kolache Festival that includes polka, beer—and, of course, lots of kolache.
Wyoming
Elk antlers are collected from the National Elk Refuge near Jackson Hole to get the festivities started during the May Elkfest. Then a chili cook-off ensues, surrounded by auctions and conservation tours.
This map of state-by-state food festivals was adapted from National Geographic's new book, Great American Eating Experiences.