Best Fall Food Festivals In NY
By Carly Petrone
Ahh, fall in New York City. The weather is perfect, the pumpkin spiced lattes are flowing, and people are ready to nosh on their favorite foodie finds. Here are five food festivals not to miss this autumn in New York City.
6th Annual Harvest Fest
Hudson River Park's 14th Street Park
New York, NY 10011
harvestfest.splashthat.com
See More: NYC's Meatpacking District: Where To Eat, See And Play
Bring the whole family down to the Meatpacking District for the 6th Annual Harvest Fest, an outdoor artisanal market and seasonal festival that's filled with all things the fall season brings. Local vendors, live performers, and community groups will gather at Hudson River Park's 14th Street Park on Saturday, October 28th from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Enjoy bites from Ample Hills Creamery, Le Pain Quotidien, Fig + Olive, and more. There will also be lawn games and live music throughout the day so feel free to stick around for both lunch and dinner. Admission is free.
MUNCHIES FESTIVAL
The Hester Street Fair
Essex St.
New York, NY 10002
www.hesterstreetfair.com
See More: NYC's 5 Best Scandinavian Eateries
Who's ready for the first-ever MUNCHIES Festival? VICE Media's website and digital channel (that's dedicated to all things food) is throwing a party fit for a Nordic king. Eight Nordic chefs from Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway will be joined by mixologists (also from the region), distillers, skyr makers, and MUNCHIES' favorite NYC restaurants for a stellar weekend of grub, discussion, and plenty of drinking. Just a few participants include Claus Meyer, Antto Melasniemi, Sayan Isaksson, and Richard McCormick. The fun takes place at The Hester Street Fair on September 16th and 17th.
NYC Wine and Food Festival
nycwff.org
See More: Best Celebrity Chef Restaurants In NYC
Attention foodies! The NYC Wine and Food Festival is back from October 12th – 15th. Come mingle with your favorite chefs and culinary celebrities from the Food Network and the Cooking Channel. Whether you're looking to take a hands-on Master Sushi Rolling Class with Morimoto, attend a grand tasting and demo, or party with Gail Simmons and Duff Goldman at a late night fiesta, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Need to save some dough? Check out the online listings for events that won't break the bank. Families can hang with Mario Batali and Ayesha Curry for an Ice Cream Fun-dae, winos can sign up for a Wine Spectator Seminar, and Scott Conant fans can meet him during happy hour at The Standard Biergarten – all for less than $100. With so much to do, where do you start? How about here. Ticket packages are also available here.
Taco Takeover
The Well Brooklyn
272 Meserole St.
Brooklyn, NY 11206
www.thetacotakeover.com
See More: Best Tacos In New York City
Viva los tacos! Get over to The Well Brooklyn the weekend of September 23rd because the official Taco Takeover is happening. Cannonball Productions, the company that brought you the Bacon & Beer Classic, are taking things south of the border with this two-day taco and tequila festival. Sip on unlimited margaritas, beer, tequila samples, and, of course, tacos! But that's not all. Roll up your sleeves because you can bob for churros to a live Mariachi band and compete in a nacho eating contest. VIPs can enjoy early entry as well as an extra 30 minutes at the exclusive guacamole bar. Just a few of this year's participants include La Esquina, Bodega Negra, Maya, Kimchi Taco, Zengo, and Oaxaca Taqueria. Make room for dessert because Tipsy Scoop will also be on site to make sure you're getting your sweet tooth (and even more boozy) fix. Yours truly will even be a judge on Saturday afternoon so be sure to come say hello. Tickets are still available for Sunday, September 24th and they cost $55-$79.
The 13th Annual Vendy Awards
Governors Island
Colonel Row
New York, NY 11231
www.vendyawards.streetvendor.org
See More: The 2016 Vendy Awards: Meet The Winners, Finalists
Take a ferry ride to Governors Island and be a part of the 13th Annual Vendy Awards! This highly anticipated street food competition is taking place on Saturday, September 16th from 12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. You'll get to sample dishes from the cream of the crop of NYC's thousands of street food vendors. All of them have been selected by public nomination so come see if yours made the cut. Each one is vying for the title of Vendy Cup Award for best overall vendor but there's also other great categories to vote on like Bad Hombres for best taco truck, Rookie for the best new truck or cart, Best Dessert, and Best in Market for the eclectic food market vendors. Finalists include Yolanda's Tamales, Anton's Dumplings, Born & Raised, Los Viajeros, Stuf'd, Momo Bros, Joon, What's The Dillaz, The Crepes Truck and many more. Come check it out for yourself. Tickets start at $60 and can be bought here.
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Carly Petrone is the founder of Petrone on the Rocks, a lifestyle site about food, drinks, beauty, travel, and more. She lives in New York City.
