Florida food festivals
Encyclopedia
Florida is host to a wide variety of food festivals.
The Sunshine State Steak Cook-Off at Ave Maria, Florida is scheduled for its 2nd year on January, 28th 2012.
13th Annual Delray Beach Garlic Fest is Scheduled to take place Feb. 10-12th, 2012.
| Month | Festival Name | City | County | Food |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunshine State Steak Cook-Off - Ave Maria, FL | Ave Maria, FL | Collier | Steak |
| 1 | The Festival of Chocolate - Tampa, FL | Tampa, FL | Hillsborough | Chocolate |
| 1 | Chocolate Sunday - Clearwater, FL | Clearwater, FL | Pinellas | Chocolate |
| 1 | 99.9 Kiss Country Regional Chili Cookoff | Pembroke Pines | Broward | Chili |
| 1 | Florida Fiddler Crab Festival | Steinhatchee, Florida | Taylor | Seafood. Gumbo, Bar-B-Q |
| 1 | Goodland Mullet Festival | Marco Island | Collier | Seafood, Mullet |
| 1 | Naples Winter Wine Festival | Naples | Collier | Wine |
| 1 | Buckhead Ridge Catfish Festival | Buckhead Ridge | Glades | Seafood, Catfish |
| 1 | Central Florida BBQ Festival | Sebring | Highlands | |
| 1 | Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival | Fellsmere | Indian River | Wild game |
| 1 | Taste of Pine Island | Pine Island | Lee | Various |
| 1 | Florida Keys Seafood Festival | Key West | Monroe | Seafood |
| 1 | Great Southern Gumbo Cook-off | Sandestin | Okaloosa | Gumbo |
| 1 | Sunshine Regional Chili Cook-Off | Kissimmee | Osceola | Chili |
| 1 | Kumquat Festival | Dade City | Pasco | Kumquat |
| 1 | Fine Wine & Food Festival | Oldsmar | Pinellas | |
| 1 | Jim's Chili Cookoff | St Petersburg | Pinellas | Chini |
| 1 | Lakeland Pig Festival | Lakeland | Polk | |
| 1 | Florida Citrus Festival | Winter Haven | Polk | |
| 2 | Grant Seafood Festival | Grant | Brevard | Seafood |
| 2 | Titusville Sunrise Rotary Club Chili Cookoff | Titusville | Brevard | |
| 2 | Taste of the Beach (Lauderdale-By-The-Sea) | Lauderdale-By-The-Sea | Broward | |
| 2 | Everglades Seafood Festival | Everglades | Collier | Seafood |
| 2 | 'Do It At The Line' Super Chili Bowl Cookoff | Pensacola | Escambia | Chili |
| 2 | Sour Orange Festival | Lakeport | Glades | Orange |
| 2 | Grillin & Chillin on Main Wauchula | Wauchula | Hardee | BBQ |
| 2 | Swamp Cabbage Festival | La Belle | Hendry | Swamp cabbage |
| 2 | Plant City Arts Council Chili Cookoff | Plant City | Hillsborough | Chili |
| 2 | Taste of Chocolate Festival | Plant City | Hillsborough | Chocolate |
| 2 | Einstein on Wine | Tampa | Hillsborough | Wine |
| 2 | Flan Fest | Tampa | Hillsborough | Flan |
| 2 | Lakeridge Winefest | Clermont | Lake | Wine |
| 2 | Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival | Cortez | Manatee | |
| 2 | Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival The Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival is an annual wine and spirits events showcasing many of the world's top chefs, spirits producers, and culinary personalities. The event is hosted by Florida International University's School of Hospitality and Tourism Management... |
Miami | Miami-Dade | |
| 2 | Chili in the Village Regional Cookoff | Pinecrest | Miami-Dade | Chili |
| 2 | Florida Keys Regional Cookoff | Key Largo | Monroe | Various |
| 2 | Firefight at Spanish Springs | The Villages | Lake, Sumter | |
| 2 | Delray Beach Garlic Fest | Delray Beach | Palm Beach | Garlic |
| 2 | 'Smoke on the Water' BBQ | Winter Haven | Polk | BBQ |
| 2 | San Sebastian Winefest | St Augustine | St Johns | Wine |
| 3 | The Festival of Chocolate - Orlando, FL | Orlando | Orange | Chocolate |
| 3 | Aliquity Chili Fest | Brandon | Hillsborough | Various, Beer |
| 3 | Desoto Seafood Festival | Bradenton | Manatee | Seafood |
| 3 | The Big Squeeze | Palm Bay | Brevard | Orange |
| 3 | A Sip of Wine...A Taste of Heaven | Pembroke Pines | Broward | Wine |
| 3 | Placida Rotary Seafood Festival | Placida | Charlotte | Seafood |
| 3 | Floral City Strawberry Festival | Floral City | Citrus | Strawberry |
| 3 | Naples Country Jam Chili Cookoff | Naples | Collier | Chili |
| 3 | Hog Wild and Pig Crazy Barbecue Cook-off | Lake City | Columbia | BBQ, Pork |
| 3 | Backyard BBQ Blast | Jacksonville | Duval | BBQ |
| 3 | Great Atlantic Seafood Festival | Jacksonville Beach | Duval | Seafood |
| 3 | Beulah Sausage Festival | Pensacola | Escambia | Sausage |
| 3 | Gulf Coast Regional Chili Cookoff | Eastpoint | Franklin | Chili |
| 3 | Florida Strawberry Festival | Plant City | Hillsborough | Strawberry |
| 3 | Denning's Lounge Chili Cookoff | Tampa | Hillsborough | Chili |
| 3 | Florida Brewers Guild BeerFest | Tampa | Hillsborough | Beer |
| 3 | Steve Otto Chili Cook-off | Tampa | Hillsborough | Chili |
| 3 | Astor Chamber Of Commerce Chili Cook-off | Astor | Lake | Chili |
| 3 | Pig on the Pond | Clermont | Lake | Pork |
| 3 | Estero High Key Club Chili Cookoff | Estero | Lee | Chili |
| 3 | Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival | Fort Myers Beach | Lee | Seafood, Shrimp |
| 3 | Cactus Jack's Chili Cookoff | Salt Springs | Marion | Chili |
| 3 | Coral Gables Wine & Food Festival | Coral Gables | Miami-Dade | Wine |
| 3 | Miami Wine and Food Festival | Miami | Miami-Dade | Wine |
| 3 | Marathon Seafood Festival | Marathon | Monroe | Seafood |
| 3 | Speckled Perch Festival | Okeechobee | Okeechobee | Seafood, Fish |
| 3 | Top Of The Lake BBQ Affair | Okeechobee | Okeechobee | BBQ |
| 3 | Boca Bacchanal Winefest | Boca Raton | Palm Beach | Wine |
| 3 | Cajun Cafe on the Bayou Crawfish Festival | Pinellas Park | Pinellas | |
| 3 | Chili Blaze | Pinellas Park | Pinellas | Chili |
| 3 | Safety Harbor Seafood Festival (formerly Harbor Sounds Seafood & Music Festival) | Safety Harbor | Pinellas | Seafood |
| 3 | Cajun Zydeco Crawfish Festival | St Petersburg | Pinellas | |
| 3 | Bluegrass & BBQ Festival | Auburndale | Polk | BBQ |
| 3 | Englewood Beach / Burr Smidt Memorial Chili Cookoff | Englewood | Sarasota | Chili |
| 3 | Florida Sunshine Pod Cookoff | Englewood | Sarasota | |
| 3 | St. Augustine Lions Seafood Festival | St Augustine | St Johns | Seafood |
| 4 | National Oyster Festival - Perdido Keys, FL | Orange Beach, | Escambia | Seafood |
| 4 | Bradford County Strawberry Festival | Starke | Bradford | Strawberry |
| 4 | New Times Beerfest | Fort Lauderdale | Broward | Beer |
| 4 | Pompano Beach Seafood Festival | Pompano Beach | Broward | Seafood |
| 4 | 'Make it Mild or Make it Wild' Chili Cook-off | Jacksonville | Duval | Chili |
| 4 | A Taste of the Coast An Artful Affair | Port Saint Joe | Gulf | Various |
| 4 | Sugar Festival | Clewiston | Hendry | Sugar |
| 4 | Spring Jubilee Chili Cook-off | Riverview | Hillsborough | Chili |
| 4 | Bern's Winefest | Tampa | Hillsborough | Wine |
| 4 | Spring Fish Fry | Leesburg | Lake | Seafood, Fish |
| 4 | Celebrate Bonita District Chili Cookoff | Bonita Springs | Lee | Chili |
| 4 | Taste of the Islands | Sanibel | Lee | Various |
| 4 | Florida Wine Festival | Tallahassee | Leon | Wine |
| 4 | Taste of Key West | Key West | Monroe | Various |
| 4 | Boggy Barbecue Cookoff | Niceville | Okaloosa | BBQ |
| 4 | Sandestin Wine Festival | Sandestin | Okaloosa | Wine |
| 4 | Rajuncajun Crawfish Festival | Orlando | Orange | Seafood, Crawfish |
| 4 | Great American Pie Festival | Orlando | Osceola | Pie |
| 4 | Cajun Blues Crawfish Festival | Palm Beach | Palm Beach | Seafood, Crawfish |
| 4 | Sweet Corn Fiesta | West Palm Beach | Palm Beach | Corn |
| 4 | St. Johns River Catfish Festival | Crescent City | Putnam | Seafood, Catfish |
| 4 | Florida Winefest & Auction | Sarasota | Sarasota | Wine |
| 4 | A Taste of St. Augustine | St Augustine | St Johns | Various |
| 4 | An Evening with EPIC Chefs | St Augustine | St Johns | Various |
| 4 | Rhythm and Ribs Festival | St Augustine | St Johns | BBQ Ribs |
| 4 | Shrimp Fest | Ponce Inlet | Volusia | Seafood, Shrimp |
| 4 | Taste of New Tampa | Tampa | Hillsborough | Various |
| 5 | Ragin Cajun Crawfish Festival - Orange Beach, FL Memorial Day Weekend | Orange Beach, | Escambia | Crawfish |
| 5 | Ragin Cajun Crawfish Festival - Pompano Beach, FL Memorial Day Weekend | Pompano Beach | Broward | Crawfish |
| 5 | BBQ & Blues Festival - Pensacola, FL | Pensacola, FL | Escambia | BBQ |
| 5 | Windsor Zucchini Festival | Gainesville | Alachua | Zucchini |
| 5 | Newberry Watermelon Festival | Newberry | Alachua | Watermelon |
| 5 | Las Olas Wine and Food Festival | Fort Lauderdale | Broward | Wine |
| 5 | Taste of Collier | Naples | Collier | Various |
| 5 | Taste of Fort Myers Beach Family Festival Fort Myers Beach, FL May 15 | Fort Myers Beach | Lee | Seafood |
| 5 | Arcadia Watermelon Festival | Arcadia | DeSoto | Watermelon |
| 5 | World of Nations Celebration | Jacksonville | Duval | Various |
| 5 | 25th Annual Pensacola Crawfish Fiestival | Downtown Pensacola | Escambia | Seafood, Crawfish |
| 5 | Tupelo Honey Festival | Wewahitchka | Gulf | Honey |
| 5 | Ruskin Tomato Festival | Ruskin | Hillsborough | Tomato |
| 5 | BBQfest | Tampa | Hillsborough | BBQ |
| 5 | Indian River County Firefighters' Chili Cookoff | Vero Beach | Indian River | Chili |
| 5 | Taste of Mount Dora | Mount Dora | Lake | Various |
| 5 | Biltmore International Food & Wine Weekend | Coral Gables | Miami-Dade | Various |
| 5 | Isle Of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival | Fernandina Beach | Nassau | Seafood, Shrimp |
| 5 | Zellwood Sweet Corn Festival | Zellwood | Orange | Corn |
| 5 | Smoke ‘n Blues BBQ | St Cloud | Osceola | BBQ |
| 5 | Cotee River Seafood Festival and Boat Show | New Port Richey | Pasco | Seafood |
| 5 | Palatka Blue Crab Festival | Palatka | Putnam | Seafood, Blue Crab |
| 5 | Daytona Beach Bayou Boil | Daytona Beach | Volusia | Cajun |
| 5 | Deland Wild Game Feast | Deland | Volusia | Wild Game |
| 5 | Panacea Blue Crab Festival | Panacea | Wakulla | Seafood, Crab |
| 6 | Bikini Parade - BEER & BBQ Festival Pensacola Bay, FL July 4 Weekend | Pensacola | Escambia | BBQ, BEER |
| 6 | A World of Dreams Epicurean Feast | Jacksonville | Duval | Various |
| 6 | Food Fight | Jacksonville | Duval | Various |
| 6 | Jefferson County Watermelon Festival | Monticello | Jefferson | Fruit, Watermelon |
| 6 | Chiefland Watermelon Festival | Chiefland | Levy | Fruit, Watermelon |
| 6 | Florida Keys Tropical Fruit Fiesta | Marathon | Monroe | Fruit |
| 6 | Northeast Florida Blueberry Festival | Callahan | Nassau | Fruit, Blueberry |
| 6 | Taste of Boynton | Boynton Beach | Palm Beach | Vartious |
| 6 | Taste of Pinellas | St Petersburg | Pinellas | Various |
| 6 | Bostwick Blueberry Festival | Bostwick | Putnam | Fruit, Blueberry |
| 6 | Wellborn Blueberry Festival | Wellborn | Suwannee | Fruit, Blueberry |
| 6 | Shores Wine and Food Festival | Daytona Beach | Volusia | |
| 6 | Panhandle Watermelon Festival | Chipley | Washington | Fruit, Watermelon |
| 7 | Folio Weekly Beer & Music Festival | Jacksonville | Duval | Beer |
| 7 | Mangomania Tropical Fruit Fair | Pine Island | Lee | Fruit |
| 7 | Clamerica Celebration | Cedar Key | Levy | Seafood, Clam |
| 7 | International Mango Festival | Coral Gables | Miami-Dade | Fruit, Mango |
| 7 | Key West Food and Wine Festival | Key West | Monroe | Various |
| 7 | Gavel & Grapes Festival | Tarpon Springs | Pinellas | Fruit, Grape |
| 8 | Gulf County Scallop Festival | Port Saint Joe | Gulf | Seafood, Scallop |
| 8 | WaZoo | Tampa | Hillsborough | Various |
| 8 | San Sebastian Harvest Festival & Grape Stomp | St Augustine | St Johns | Fruit, Grape |
| 9 | Fall Seafood and Pirate Fest | Panama City | Bay | Seafood |
| 9 | Q-Fest BBQ & Music Festival | Grant | Brevard | BBQ |
| 9 | Taste of Weston | Fort Lauderdale | Broward | Various |
| 9 | Hollywood Beach Clambake | Hollywood | Broward | Seafood, Clam |
| 9 | Florida Barbecue Association Funcook | Crystal River | Citrus | BBQ |
| 9 | Emerald Coast Brew Fest & Beach Party | Pensacola | Escambia | Beer |
| 9 | 32nd Annual Pensacola Seafood Festival | Downtown Pensacola | Escambia | Seafood |
| 9 | Seafood & Mini Wine Fest | Sandestin | Okaloosa | Seafood |
| 9 | Florida Cracker Oyster Festival | Orlando | Orange | Seafood, Oyster |
| 9 | Taste of Clearwater | Clearwater | Pinellas | Various |
| 9 | 'I Like It Hot!' Festival & Barbecue | Largo | Pinellas | BBQ |
| 9 | Sun-N-Fun RV Resort Chili Cookoff | Sarasota | Sarasota | Chili |
| 9 | Tallahassee Food Festival Tallahassee Food Festival The Tallahassee Food Festival is an annual community food event held in the fall in Tallahassee, Florida. The 2011 event is being held on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011 at the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center. - About :... - Tallahassee, FL |
Tallahassee, FL | Leon | All food types |
| 10 | Oyster & Beer Festival - Pensacola, FL | Pensacola, FL | Escambia | Seafood |
| 10 | Sarasota Pumpkin Festival | Sarasota | Sarasota | Various |
| 10 | New Smyrna Beach Uncorked | New Smyrna Beach | Volusia | Various |
| 10 | Indian Summer Seafood Festival | Panama City Beach | Bay | Seafood |
| 10 | Hospice Chili Cookoff | Wilton Manors | Broward | Chili |
| 10 | Southeast Chili Cookoff | Homosassa | Citrus | Chili |
| 10 | Waterfront Chili Cookoff | Homosassa | Citrus | Chili |
| 10 | Caring Chefs | Jacksonville | Duval | Various |
| 10 | Hernando County BBQ & Rodeo Festival | Brooksville | Hernando | BBQ |
| 10 | Hernando Beach Seafood Festival | Hernando Beach | Hernando | Seafood |
| 10 | Taste at Bay Street | Tampa | Hillsborough | Various |
| 10 | Minneola Fall Fest BBQ Contest | Minneola | Lake | BBQ |
| 10 | Cedar Key Seafood Festival | Cedar Key | Levy | Seafood |
| 10 | Central Florida Peanut Festival | Williston | Levy | Peanut |
| 10 | Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival | Bradenton | Manatee | Pumpkin |
| 10 | Mighty Mullet Maritime Festival | Panacea | Wakulla | Mullet, Seafood |
| 10 | St. Marks Stone Crab Festival | St. Marks | Wakulla | Stone Crab, Seafood |
| 10 | Stone Crab, Seafood, and Wine Festival | Longboat Key | Manatee | Seafood, Stone Crab |
| 10 | Belleview Chili Cook-off | Belleview | Marion | Chili |
| 10 | Marion County Chili Cook-Off | Ocala | Marion | Chili |
| 10 | Chocolate Festival | Coral Gables | Miami-Dade | Chocolate |
| 10 | Stone Crab Fest | Summerland Key | Monroe | Seafood, Stone Crab |
| 10 | Destin Seafood Festival | Destin | Okaloosa | Seafood |
| 10 | Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival The Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival is an annual seafood and arts festival held in Niceville, Florida, United States, on the second-to-last weekend of every October. Visitors and booth openers come from as far away as Louisiana... |
Niceville | Okaloosa | Seafood, Mullet |
| 10 | Epcot Epcot Epcot is a theme park in the Walt Disney World Resort, located near Orlando, Florida. The park is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, namely international culture and technological innovation. The second park built at the resort, it opened on October 1, 1982 and was initially named... International Food & Wine Festival |
Orlando | Orange | Various |
| 10 | Frenchy's Stone Crab Festival | Clearwater Beach | Pinellas | Seafood, Stone Crab |
| 10 | John's Pass Seafood Festival | Madeira Beach | Pinellas | Seafood |
| 10 | Taste of Plant City | Plant City | Pinellas | Various |
| 10 | Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art is an art museum located on the campus of St. Petersburg College in Tarpon Springs, Florida. The museum houses a permanent collection which includes paintings by Abraham Rattner and contemporary Florida sculpture including modern art by Abraham Rattner, Esther Gentle,... Stone Crab Fest |
Tarpon Springs Tarpon Springs, Florida Tarpon Springs is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 21,003 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 22,554.... |
Pinellas | Seafood, Stone Crab |
| 10 | Mulberry Fine Swine At The Pit | Mulberry | Polk | BBQ Pork |
| 10 | Gabbert Farm Peanut Festival | Jay | Santa Rosa | Peanut |
| 10 | Great Bowls of Fire Chili Cookoff | Deland | Volusia | Chili |
| 11 | The Festival of Chocolate - Palm Beach County Convention Center | West Palm Beach, FL | West Palm Beach | Chocolate |
| 11 | First Coast Ham Jam | Green Cove Springs | Clay | Pork |
| 11 | Nosh Fest - S. Florida's Jewish Food Festival | Cooper City | Broward | Jewish Foods |
| 11 | Florida Seafood Festival Florida Seafood Festival The Florida Seafood Festival is an annual public event held in Apalachicola, Florida on the first weekend of November. It features a parade, A carnival, blue crab races, an oyster eating contest, an oyster shucking contest, a 3.1 mile road race, a country music concert,arts and craft booths, and... |
Apalachicola | Franklin | Seafood |
| 11 | Plant City Pig Jam | Plant City | Hillsborough | Pork |
| 11 | Ruskin Seafood Festival | Ruskin | Hillsborough | Seafood |
| 11 | Zoofari | Tampa | Hillsborough | Various |
| 11 | Sebastian Clambake Lagoon Festival | Sebastian | Indian River | Seafood, Clam |
| 11 | Leesburg Chili Cook-Off | Leesburg | Lake | Chili |
| 11 | Fort Myers Taste of the Town | Fort Myers | Lee | Various |
| 11 | Tallahassee Wine and Food Festival | Tallahassee | Leon | |
| 11 | Taste of Manatee | Bradenton | Manatee | |
| 11 | Jerk Fest Jerk Festival | Sunrise | Broward | Meat, Caribbean Jerk seasonings |
| 11 | Jensen Beach Pineapple Festival | Jensen Beach | Martin | Fruit, Pineapple |
| 11 | Orlando Beer Festival | Orlando | Orange | Beer |
| 11 | Palm Beach County Firefighters/Paramedics M.D.A. Chili Cookoff | Lake Worth | Palm Beach | Chili |
| 11 | Hudson Seafest | Hudson | Pasco | Seafood |
| 11 | Land O' Lakes Flapjack Festival | Land O Lakes | Pasco | Pancake |
| 11 | Chiliblast | Clearwater | Pinellas | Chili |
| 11 | Dunedin Wines the Blues | Dunedin | Pinellas | Wine |
| 11 | Taste of Gulfport | Gulfport | Pinellas | |
| 11 | Safety Harbor Wine Festival | Safety Harbor | Pinellas | Wine |
| 11 | Ribfest | St Petersburg | Pinellas | BBQ Ribs |
| 12 | Beefcember Fest | Starke | Bradford | Beef |
| 12 | Death By Chocolate | Largo | Pinellas | Chocolate |
| 12 | Cheesecake Challenge | St Augustine | St Johns | Cheesecake |
The Sunshine State Steak Cook-Off at Ave Maria, Florida is scheduled for its 2nd year on January, 28th 2012.
13th Annual Delray Beach Garlic Fest is Scheduled to take place Feb. 10-12th, 2012.