CONNECTICUT:  January/February/March/April/May  -  June & July
August  -  September  -  October/November/December

2015 CONNECTICUT: January through May 2015
Food & Wine Festivals, Shows & Local Events
(see also: 2014 - 2013)

January 19-Feb 1, 2015  Taste of Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Taste of Hartford is back! Foodies and discount diners delight: the Greater Hartford Arts Council, in partnership with CTNOW, present Taste of Hartford 2015, the city's premier restaurant event - two weeks of fine discount dining. This is Hartford's Restaurant Week and CTNow.com is the official site for Taste of Hartford 2015 information. Participating restaurants across Hartford will offer special multi-course, price-fixed tasting menus featuring their signature dishes.
 

January 23-25, 2015  12th Annual Sun Winefest '15
Uncasville, Connecticut
Held at Mohegan Sun.  Featuring beer, wine, specialty spirits and delectable dishes, this weekend has something for everyone. Wine and beer enthusiasts can select from over 1,000 brands or enjoy tastings of specialty sponsor spirits. Foodies can sample signature dishes from the region's most highly rated restaurants. The Main Culinary Stage is the backdrop for two days of celebrity chef demonstrations along with fun-filled contests.

January 24-25, 2015  Winter Fest 2015 - Litchfield, Connecticut
Come in from the cold and enjoy tasty tidbits, live music and Haight Brown Vineyard wines! Reservations required.

January 25, 2015  The Chocolate Expo 2015 - Norwalk, Connecticut
Maritime Aquarium.  Celebrate your passion… and celebrate life! Chocolate is one of life’s true pleasures. No matter what your age, background or interests, almost everyone loves chocolate.  The Chocolate Expo has by far become the northeast’s largest chocolate-themed event. The Chocolate Expo offers tastings & sales of chocolates, baked goods, specialty foods, gelato, cheeses and much more from local and regional vendors. Depending on location, tastings and sales of wines, beers and other “adult beverages” may also be offered.  Each Chocolate Expo event combines chocolate and food with a dash of fun such as unique exhibits, performances, demonstrations and/or celebrity appearances.

February 14, 2015  VALENTINE'S DAY
Most of the more than 1/2 million restaurants in the U.S. have special events scheduled for today. They are too numerous to list.

February 14, 2015  11th Annual Romantic Willimantic Chocolate Festival
Willimantic, Connecticut
From 11-3 pm local businesses will open their doors with free chocolate samples and menu specials.  There's plenty of parking downtown, so bring your family and friends and hit the streets to sample chocolates in various forms and visit many of Willimantic Downtown's merchants.

March 2-6, 2015  National School Breakfast Week - Nationwide
National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) was launched in 1989 to raise awareness of the availability of the School Breakfast Program (SBP) to all children.

March 18, 2015  'AgDay' National Agriculture Day - Nationwide
A day to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture.

March 27-28, 2015  Feeding the Future 2015 - New London, Connecticut
Connecticut College is hosting a one and a half day conference on Feeding the Future. The conference will begin with a sustainable banquet on Friday evening, March 27, followed by a keynote lecture by Dan Barber, chef for Blue Hill and author of the forthcoming The Third Plate. On Saturday, the conference will run 8:30 to 4:30pm, with three sessions – the first focusing on the present food system, second on learning from the past – possible lessons for fixing our broken food system, and the third is looking toward the future – cutting edge work that is being done towards a more sustainable food system and greater food security.

April 22, 2015  Earth Day - Worldwide
The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement.  More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.

May 10, 2015  MOTHERS' DAY - Nationwide
Most restaurants in the U.S. have special events scheduled for today. They are too numerous to list.

2014 CONNECTICUT: January through May 2014
Food & Wine Shows & Local Food Events
events still waiting for new dates

February 23-March 1, 2014  Discover Bethel Restaurant Week
Bethel, Connecticut
Thousands of area residents and visitors alike make their way to support the local dining community by feasting upon specialties from the eateries they love, as well as the establishments waiting to become their most recent obsession. This year we have 19 restaurants featuring their proudest masterpieces on prix fixe menus during both lunch and dinner services (a couple for breakfast too). Plus, all those delicious offerings come at incredibly affordable prices.  Discover Bethel Restaurant Week has something new and exciting for every budget from fine dining to a quick bite on the run.

March 8-9, 2014  24th Hebron Maple Festival - Hebron, Connecticut
Each year thousands of people come from miles around to enjoy the weekend of maple related events. Self-tours, demonstrations and a variety of maple products at several local sugar houses. Dog sled exhibition, chain saw carvers, crafts, vendors and lots of good food!  Annually the 2nd weekend in March.

April 1, 2014  Flavors of Connecticut - Plantsville, Connecticut
Flavors is a culinary experience that goes beyond the traditional gala and provides each table of attendees with a local chef who will prepare a multi-course dinner tableside. The meal that is delivered will showcase the signature dishes of our culinary experts and take you beyond the usual restaurant fare. Unleash your inner "foodie" and experience a distinct evening of dining while helping to fund the research, education and advocacy efforts of the American Liver Foundation.

April 6-12, 2014  Branford Restaurant Week - Branford, Connecticut
The third annual event will feature more 20 Branford restaurants serving special menus or multi-course prix fixe menus at for lunch and dinner.

April 6-12, 2014  Stratford Restaurant Week - Stratford, Connecticut
Stratford Restaurant Week is co-sponsored by Stratford’s Chamber of Commerce and the Stratford Economic Development Department.  Over 30 of Stratford’s best restaurants are offering special $16.39 per person or $37.50 per couple Prix Fixe menus for Restaurant Week.

May 3, 2014  Annual New England Regional Chili Cookoff
Somers, Connecticut
WARNING: Website has Loud Music.  Sanctioned by the International Chili Society. To benefit the Somers (CT) Fire Department and Patriot Guard Riders CT.  The event is but minutes from Hartford and Springfield.

May 17-18, 2014  7th Annual Asparagus Festival
Sherman, Connecticut
7th annual asparagus festival. Food, Wine, Tours, Live Music

May 24-26, 2014  Mystic Seaport Lobster Days - Mystic, Connecticut
Lobsters in the rough are served by the Rotary Club of Mystic. Lobster platters are served picnic-style under Mystic Seaport’s open-air Boat Shed where diners can watch boats cruising on the Mystic River and enjoy music of the sea.

2013 Connecticut: January Thru May 2013
Food & Wine Festivals, Shows, Events
events still waiting for new dates

April 27-28, 2013  Tanger Taste & Style Experience and Barbecue Contest
Westbrook, Connecticut
15 to 20 Gourmet Food Trucks all weekend by "Food Trucks 2 Go" offering everything from Asian Fusion to Classic American to Fresh, Local Seafood to Exotic Mediterranean and Homemade Desserts. Live Demonstrations, Backyard BBQ Cook Off, Chowder Cook Off, Live music.

May 22, 2013  Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation- New Haven, CT
Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation is the nation's premier culinary benefit, featuring top chefs and mixologists -- all of whom are coming together to donate their time, talent and passion to end childhood hunger in America.