From sea to shining sea, Americans know how to celebrate their food. Cities across this great land pay homage to the sustainable goods that make their region famous with parades, contests, and of course, festivals, often sponsored by CPG companies.
Take for example, the
Cheese Curd Festival, hosted in – you guessed it – Wisconsin! This year, the village of
Ellsworth, 30 miles east of Minneapolis/St. Paul, held their ninth annual event June 25-27. The event included a scavenger hunt for "The Great Cheese Curd Medallion," a cheese carving contest, and fireworks, thanks to sponsors including the
Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery and
Nash Finch.
Wisconsin isn't the only state having all the fun with cheese, though! On July 25, the
Vermont Cheesemakers Festival organized its fourteenth annual event where attendees sampled cheese, learned from educational seminars, and watched cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs. Sponsors such as
Cabot Cheese and
Ben & Jerry's made the day possible.
In Georgia, they take their peaches very seriously...by having a lot of fun! This year, the
Georgia Peach Festival took place June 11-19. The first Georgia Peach festival was staged in Peach County's Fort Valley in 1986. Events during the week-long event included the
Miss Georgia Peach Pageant and sampling of the
world's largest peach cobbler, all presented with the help of local
sponsors, many
orchards and
farms.
If strawberries are more your thing, the
Garden Grove Strawberry Festival is for you! From May 28-31, participants celebrated the 52nd annual fair with
carnival rides, a
redhead contest, and a parade that has boasted a
celebrity grand marshal since 1959.
Foster Farms,
Sam's Club, and
Seattle's Best Coffee were just three of the festival's many
sponsors this year.
Moving on to main dishes, you'll want to head to Maine to commemorate the mighty lobster.
Sponsored by such companies as
PepsiCo and
Green Mountain Coffee, the
Maine Lobster Festival is right around the corner – August 4-8. In addition to a lobster-eating contest, a lecture on the evolution of lobsters, and a codfish carry competition for kids, participants can take in free concerts by artists ranging from
Clint Black to the
Wicked Good Band.
For those who like their food a bit spicier, try the
National Buffalo Wing Festival in Buffalo, New York, brought to you by none other than
Frank's RedHot, among
others. On September 4 and 5, more than 91,000 attendees will feast on 40 tons of wings. In addition to sampling the best wings in the area, attendees can
bob for wings in a blue cheese bowl, enter the
amateur creative sauce-off, and salute the newest members of the
National Buffalo Wing Hall of Flame.
Other food festivals include:
- The National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Michigan (July 2-9), with sponsors like Mountain Dew and Johnsonville Sausage.
- The Copper River Wild Salmon Festival in Cordova, Alaska (July 8-10), sponsored in part by Trident Seafoods.
- The Yarmouth, Maine, Clam Festival (July 16-18) sponsored by Frito-Lay and Dunkin' Donuts.
- The Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, Corn Festival (August 28), community supported, but might want to look up Del Monte if looking for a corporate sponsor!
What food festivals take place where you live? Please, leave a message and tell me all about the wonderful fairs you have attended that pay tribute to local fare!
No comments:
Post a Comment