Summer Food Festivals Worth Traveling For

— -- intro: There’s something about the shedding of clothes and shining of sun that makes a traveler want to fill their plates. Summer’s rips with fabulous food festivals from coast to coast, but there are only a few worth traveling for. To appeal to all taste buds equally, we’re focusing on fests that serve a variety of food and leaving out the single (but still awesome) fests of ice cream, lobster, garlic etc.

quicklist: 1title: Kennebunkport Festivalurl: http://kennebunkportfestival.com/text: From June 8 – 13 in 2015, the impossibly charming town of Kennebunkport, Maine becomes a culinary mecca for New England-inspired cuisine and a temporary home to top chefs from the region. Featuring food, wine and art, the five-day festival features almost 40 separate events, the highlights of which are An Evening at The White Barn Inn, a AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star restaurant; Wood Fired Maine, an event featuring Chefs Justin Walker (Earth), Melissa Kelly (Primo), Mary Dumont (Harvest) and Pichet Ong (P*ONG) will be prepare a dinner inspired by wood elements; and a large selection of intimate dinners prepared by famed chefs in the homes of Kennebunkport residents. Add in cocktail parties, an afternoon dedicated to ‘Brews and Tunes,’ and some art gallery receptions and you’ve got a non-stop party plated up to please even the most discerning palates.

The festival benefits Full Plates Full Potential, a group dedicated to ending childhood hunger in Maine.

quicklist: 2title: Smorgasburgurl: http://www.smorgasburg.com/text: It’s baaack! April 4-5 is opening weekend for the outdoor season of Smorgasburg which takes place in Brooklyn on Saturdays at 90 Kent Ave, in Williamsburg and Sundays at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Think of this food fest in the terms of “if you can dream it, you can find it” at Smorgasburg. From fried chicken to burritos to noodles to hash to doughnuts, you’d be hard-presses to not find what you’re craving among the 100+ vendors descending on Brooklyn from 11 – 6 every weekend form now – November.media: 30070380

quicklist: 3title: Truckeroourl: http://www.truckeroodc.com/www/text: Truckeroo is gearing up for its April 24 opening and will roll into the Washington D.C.’s six times this summer: April 24, May 15, June 12, July 10, August 21 and Sept. 11, from 11 am – 11 pm. This is a one-stop-shop-opp for food truck lovers -- Truckeroo features more than 20. But there’s no need to stand up and eat: there’s plenty of shade, picnic tables and even live music to set the scene. Past participants include Feelin’ Crabby: crab sandwiches and salads; BONMi: Banh Mi Sandwiches & Vietnamese Dishes; TaKorean: Korean BBQ with tacos and Captain Cookie and the Milk Man: cookies, local milk & ice cream sandwiches.media: 30069667

quicklist: 4title: Hawaii Food & Wine Festivalurl: http://www.hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com/node/text: Did you need another reason to put Hawaii on your can’t-miss list? The Hawaii Food & Wine Festival will host its fifth event from August 29 – September 13 in 2015, traveling from Hawaii island to Maui to O’ahu over the course of the two-week event. Co-founded by two of Hawai‘i’s James Beard Award-winning chefs, Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong, the festival features wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, excursions, and exclusive dining opportunities with dishes highlighting the state’s local foods. Important note: No one under 21 years old is admitted to any festival events.media: 30070842

quicklist: 5title: Taste of Chicagourl: http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/taste_of_chicago.html/text: Every summer since 1980, Chicago's Grant Park on the city's lakefront has been home to what the organizer bill as the “world's largest food festival.” From Jul 8 – 12 in 2015, it’s the place to be for culinary delights that extend far beyond deep dish pizza and Chicago-style dogs. More than 200 cuisines representing Chicago’s diverse dining scene will be on offer this year – the event’s 35th – and some three million people are expected to attend.media: 30070677