Events This Week: Atlanta Food & Wine, BottleRock, Kennebunkport
This week, taste the best of the South with award-winning chefs at the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival, and while you're there, visit Candler Park for street food and local bands. Napa Valley's BottleRock Festival features even more food trucks and music, and if you're looking to rub shoulders with Hudson Valley's best winemakers, the Wine & Food Festival of New Paltz is your best bet. If you've ever fantasized about vacationing in Maine, make sure it coincides with enjoying local cuisine and microbrews in beautiful seaside homes at the Kennebunkport Festival. We've got the lineup, it's up to you to pick the destination.
Atlanta, GA
May 29-June 1
Savor the flavors of the South with award-winning chefs and sommeliers at the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival. The weekend kicks off with a champagne-toast, followed by a sweet and savory breakfast prepared by six all-star chefs. Don't miss the raw chocolate seminar from Cacao Atlanta owner Kristen Hard and join James Beard nominee Andrea Reusing and specialty wine importer Jon-David Headrick for spicy food and champagne pairings.
Candler Park Music and Food Festival
Atlanta, GA
May 30-31
The Candler Park Music and Food Festival hosts Atlanta's largest gathering of food trucks with two days of live music. Check out Local vintage band Secondhand Swagger, the Led Zeppelin-esque The Howling Tongues and "punk poet" Frank Turner. With 24 food trucks, you've got a wide selection of street grub to fuel up on while jamming out. Pick up a brisket sandwich from Sweet Auburn Barbecue, zucchini fries from Grilldabeast and an order of lumpia from The Filipino.
Napa Valley, CA
June 30-June 1
If you're looking for exceptional music, food, wine and beer, head to the West Coast for Napa Valley's three-day BottleRock Festival. Catch big-name bands like Third Eye Blind, Barenaked Ladies and The Cure while sampling from local gourmet restaurants, like Morimoto Napa and Chris Mortenson's La Condesa. Hit the food truck rodeo for the Bay Area's best mobile eats and peruse 25 winery tents where you can sip, savor and make friends with winemakers and vintners.
Wine & Food Festival of New Paltz
New Paltz, NY
May 30-June 1
Pay a visit to New Paltz's Mohonk Mountain House for a weekend of tastings, seminars and cooking demos hosted by an exciting lineup of chefs and mixologists. Attend the Wine & Food Gala and sample dishes from students at the Culinary Institute of America. Chat with local Hudson Valley winemakers and producers at Saturday's Grand Tasting and learn all about high-altitude Italian wines with The Centurion Club's wine director, Anthony Giglio. Need any more good reasons to leave the city?
Kennebunkport, ME
June 1-8
Maine Magazine's annual Kennebunkport Festival kicks off summer with a celebration of Maine's most talented chefs, sommeliers, artists and musicians. Attend one of the festival's 21 Art of Dining Dinners held in private homes and indulge in local fare from top Maine chefs like Jason Paul of The Gothic. Check out the Cellardoor Grand Tapas Party, with food from eight countries, and sip local beers while jamming to the sounds of Portland singer/songwriter Spencer Albee at Saturday's Brews & Tunes outdoor concert.
Upcoming:
Big Apple Barbecue Block Party
New York, NY
June 7-8
The Big Apple Barbecue Block Party returns to Madison Square Park for its 12th year, armed with a team of top-notch pitmasters to slake your meat cravings in the most delicious way possible. Catch live music sets from the likes of hip-hop duo Riders Against the Storm and singer/songwriter Lera Lynn, learn to make Austin-inspired BBQ Tacos with Southern Living and eat your way through a variety of regional classics — whole hog barbecue from Durham, NC's Ed Mitchell, pulled pork shoulder from Decatur, AL's Chris Lilly and beef brisket from New York's own Charles Grund, Jr. We know you won't want to miss this, so make sure to enter our FastPass Giveaway for the chance to win two free tickets!
Maui, HI
June 12-15
In its 33rd year, the Kapalua Wine and Food Festival is the longest-running event of its kind in the U.S., bringing together world-renowned chefs, sommeliers and winemakers to celebrate Maui's culinary bounty. The weekend kicks off with an introduction to wine-tasting, followed by an industry trade show and welcome reception. Continue celebrating with Friday morning's wine-fueled golf tournament, a series of seminars, tastings and winemaker dinners, and Sunday evening's Seafood Festival, which features marine cuisine from the Island's top restaurants.
New York, NY
June 13-14
Love rosé? Catch a spot on the Hornblower Hybrid yacht for a night of wine-tasting and hors d'oeuvres sampling on the Hudson River. The event features 85 of the best rosé varietals from around the world paired perfectly with cheese and charcuterie from Vin Sur Vingt.