FLORIDA: January - February - March - April - MAY - June - July - August - September - October - November - December Check previous year if event is not yet updated to current year 2023 FLORIDA - MAY 2023
Food Shows and Local Food, Beer and Wine Event
(see also: 2022 - 2021 - 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 - 2016)
March 20-May 21, 2023
Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival
Tampa, Florida
May 5-7, 2023
Annual Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival
Fernandina Beach, Florida
Held in the heart of historic downtown Fernandina Beach on beautiful Amelia Island, Florida since 1964, the family friendly, free admission Shrimp Festival offers delicious shrimp prepared every way imaginable by 25 food booths all staffed and run exclusively by local Nassau County non-profit groups as fund-raisers. Wear your walking shoes to visit over 300 Fine Artisan & Crafters, 50 Antique Dealers, 25 Kid Fun Zone Activities, Live Music on 2 Stages, and lots of Pirates. May 7-, 2023 ?8th Annual Cuban Sandwich Festival of Kissimmee & Orlando - Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee LakeFront Park. Noon to 6pm. Enjoy LIVE music and cultural entertainment and the BEST Cuban Sandwiches in Central Florida, and who will go on to compete in the WORLD Championship in Tampa/Ybor City. May 14, 2023 - MOTHERS' DAY - Nationwide
Most restaurants in the U.S. have special events scheduled for today. They are too numerous to list. May 28-, 2023 12th Annual Cuban Sandwich Festival
Ybor City, Florida
BACK at Centennial Park in Historic Ybor City FORD Intl Cuban Sandwich Festival: The Big Day - Smackdown Sunday! 22 Registered Contestants! Award Winning @Orchestra Fuego! Meet Celebrity VIP Judges like: Award Winning Cuban American Actor: Roberto Escobar, and the Olga Gonzalez, and MORE! LIVE Music and Dance performances! Contestants enter their Cuban Sandwich to see who makes the BEST Cuban Sandwich in The World. THIS IS A FREE FAMILY and COMMUNITY FESTIVAL
2022 FLORIDA - MAY 2022
Food Shows and Local Food, Beer and Wine Event
events waiting for new datesMay 20-22, 2022 Sarasota Shrimp & Music Festival - Sarasota, Florida May 21, 2022 77th Annual Newberry Watermelon Festival
Newberry, Florida
Since 1946. Some of the favorite festival activities started many years ago and still continue today. These activities include contests for watermelon eating, seed spitting, hog calling, pie/cake baking, and of course the 'Big Melon.
2021 FLORIDA - MAY 2021
Food Shows and Local Food, Beer and Wine Event
events waiting for new datesMay 1, 2021 - 6th Annual Beer & Burger Throw Down
Safety Harbor, Florida
This event features free samples from local craft brewers, and many of the best burger restaurants and food trucks from all around at the same convenient place! There will be music, competitions, outdoor games, and of course…beer and burgers! May 7, 2021 - School Lunch Hero Day - Nationwide
A chance to showcase the difference school nutrition professionals make for every child who comes through the cafeteria. May 21-23, 2021 St. Armands Seafood & Music Festival
Sarasota, Florida
St. Armands Circle Park, both Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 8pm. Admission is free. The is created, as are all good meals, thru incorporating and blending the finest ingredients. We offer all food entrees (seafood, meat and vegetarian) prepared fresh onsite by local restaurants and food purveyors. Seafood dishes are created using indigenous and sustainable ocean resources from Florida’s coastal waters. Foods will be accompanied by a delicious assortment of drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. All the while, floating across the landscape will be the captivating sounds of live musical performances on stage by some of Florida’s and the region’s top musical talents. Music will be from such genres and R&B, jazz, rock, reggae and Caribbean. The final ‘seasoning’ will be a marketplace of arts and crafts, gourmet food items and specialty products.
2020 FLORIDA - MAY 2020
Food Shows and Local Food, Beer and Wine Event
events waiting for new datesMay , 2020 - Annual Taste of Collier - Naples, Florida
EVENT POSTPONED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS.
Family fun featuring live performances by local entertainers, an ice-carving contest, chefs competition and savory samples from 30 of the best local restaurants in Collier County! The event raises money for local charities. (also: https://www.mcquaid-marketing.com/tasteofcollier May 1, 2020 - 11th Annual Clearwater Beach Taste Fest
Clearwater Beach, Florida
Recently named Trip Advisor's #1 Beach in America, Clearwater Beach will host this scrumptious event at the newly renovated and iconic Pier 60 Park. This event will feature tastings from over 30 participating restaurants, wine & craft beer, live entertainment. In true Taste Fest tradition we'll boast exquisite raffle items, a live auction, vendors and more! May 1-2, 2020 - 46th Annual Panacea Blue Crab Fest - Panacea, Florida
Held annually at Woolley Park on scenic Dickerson Bay, the festival promotes the crab industry in Wakulla County. Enjoy a parade, live music, dance performances, historic demonstrations, a crab picking contest, fireworks, and lots of good food including boiled blue crab. May 6-9, 2020 - Haute Cuisine: Bal Harbour
Bal Harbour Village, Florida
EVENT POSTPONED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS.
Boasting a total of nine Michelin stars, six international chefs are collaborating for the North American debut of Haute Cuisine. Created in Switzerland at W Verbier in 2015, this yearly experience in the Swiss Alps has chosen to launch in Bal Harbour Village – South Florida’s most exclusive neighborhood. A platform for internationally recognized chefs to share their culinary passions with food lovers, Haute Cuisine offers a dynamic schedule of interactive cooking classes and intimate theme-based dinners with specially curated menus of tantalizing dishes. • Six interactive cooking classes, each led by Michelin-starred chefs from France, Spain and the Netherlands. • Four intimate theme-based dinners curated by the talented team of chefs including a fashion-focused dinner at Bal Harbour Shops, the nation’s top-producing luxury shopping center. May 8-10, 2020 - Venice Seafood & Music Festival - Venice, Florida
Hours are both Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 6pm. Admission is free. The Venice Seafood & Music Festival is created, as are all good meals, thru incorporating and blending the finest ingredients. We offer all food entrees (seafood, meat and vegetarian) prepared fresh onsite by local restaurants and food purveyors. Seafood dishes are created using indigenous and sustainable ocean resources from Florida’s coastal waters. Foods will be accompanied by a delicious assortment of drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. While enjoying your meal and drinks, be caressed by the captivating sounds of live musical performances on stage by some of Florida’s and the region’s top musical talents. Music will be from such genres and R&B, jazz, rock, reggae and Caribbean sounds. The final ‘seasoning’ will be a walk through the marketplace of arts and crafts, gourmet food items and specialty products. May 9-10, 2020 - Taste the Islands Experience
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
An All-Inclusive Caribbean Culinary Experience. Enjoy authentic flavors, sights and sounds of the Caribbean, celebrity cooking demos, gourmet bites from a variety of South Florida's favorite Caribbean restaurants, an artisan shopping village, live music, DJs and more. Food and spirits enthusiasts with a taste for island indulgences will gather for a series of events anchored at History Fort Lauderdale (formerly the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society). It’s an interactive celebration set along the breathtaking Riverwalk area, offering an exciting program of uniquely Caribbean activities. May 16, 2020 - Taste of the Nation South Florida - Miami, Florida
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. May 29-30, 2020 - Wine Quest Annual Wine Tasting and Auction
Orlando, Florida
Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando. This 2 night event features wines from around the world, exquisite cuisine and auctions that benefit Quest, Inc. Together, we can change lives of individuals with developmental disabilities and help them achieve their dreams to live, learn, work and play. Friday night’s tickets include access to the Grand Tasting of more than 200 wines from wineries all over the world and heavy hor d’oeuvres prepared by the gourmet chefs at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando. Saturday night’s tickets include a 5-course exquisite dining experience with wine pairings. All nights will include raffles, games, and auctions with all proceeds benefiting individuals with developmental disabilities who Quest, Inc. serves. Valet and self-parking available. Cocktail attire.
2019 FLORIDA - MAY 2019
Food Shows and Local Food, Beer and Wine Event
events waiting for new datesMay 11, 2019 - Taste for Learning - Orlando, Florida
Vintners from around the world will donate and pour their finest wines, thanks to ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. Hundreds of wine and spirits options will be available. Please join us by inviting friends and colleagues, sponsoring a table and contributing auction items. May 11, 2019 - 25th Annual Dine on the Wild Side
St. Augustine, Florida
HAWKE (Humane Association of Wildlife Care and Education) announces their Annual Dine on the Wild Side fund-raising dinner to be held at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. This popular event is sponsored each year by the Alligator Farm Zoological Park (www.alligatorfarm.com) - check them out its more than a park, it’s the zoo for you! Have your family and friends come to a wild Saturday they will never forget and also help injured and orphaned wildlife. May 18, 2019 - Gluten & Allergen Free Wellness Event
Jacksonville, Florida May 18, 2019 Spring BBQ & Classic Car Show - Lake City, Florida
American Legion Riders, Chapter 57. May 25, 2019 Food Truck Wars - Port St Lucie, Florida
40 Gourmet Food Trucks competing for 5 awards. Live Music ~ Kids Area ~ Beer Garden ~ Executive & Celebrity Judges. May 26, 2019 Central Florida's BBQ Blowout - Oviedo, Florida
EVENT DISCONTINUED. The annual BBQ Blowout Has been Discontinued. For information on other Sponsorship and Participation opportunities, Please call Halie at 407 365-6500.
2018 FLORIDA - MAY 2018
Food Shows and Local Food, Beer and Wine Event
events waiting for new datesMay 5, 2018 - 11th Annual American Fine Wine Competition and Gala
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
The American Fine Wine Competition (AFWC) is celebrating 11 years of promoting the finest wines produced in the United States. The AFWC will host the 11th annual Charity Wine Gala on May 5, 2018 at Pier 66 where we will award the ”Winemaker and Winery of the Year”. More than 600 award-winning wines will be poured at this spectacular event, accompanied by a dazzling feast, winery tasting rooms hosted by the winemakers, exciting auctions, music and celebrations. A portion of the proceeds from the gala benefit the Autism Society of Florida. May 5, 2018 - 12th Annual Island Grove Blueberry Festival
Island Grove, Florida
Fun for the whole family! Delicious Florida foods, Blueberry Bake Sale, Cake Baking Contest, arts and crafts vendors, kids activities and entertainment, blueberries and plants. Proceeds benefit the local fire department. May 12, 2018 - Smokin Blues, Boats, Bikes & BBQ
St. Cloud, Florida
Live music, professional & backyard BBQ competition, bike rally/show, boats, Cardboard Boat Race, beer/wine, a kids' zone and much more. Always fun and always free. May 25-26, 2018 Old Town BBQ Throwdown - Kissimmee, Florida
Considered one of the Sunshine State's richest contests with a guaranteed purse of $10,000, the Kansas City Barbeque Society sanctioned Old Town BBQ Throwdown is considered a state championship, offers a People's Choice Pork & Steak championship for bragging rights. We're spreading the love by paying top three overall and through five places in all four categories. May 25-28, 2018 Blue Crab Festival - Palatka, Florida
FESTIVAL CANCELLED FOR 2018. May return in 2019.
2017 FLORIDA - MAY 2017
Food & Wine Festivals, Shows, Events
events still waiting for new datesMay 19-21, 2017 Food & Wine Conference - Orlando, Florida
The cutting-edge summit will bring together bloggers, small business owners, marketing professionals, winemakers, chefs and other key players to teach and learn about making the most of online opportunities to grow their businesses. Food bloggers and others with online outlets in particular will gain insight into search engine optimization, social media marketing, food photography, effective writing and networking with others in the wine-and-dine industry. May 20-21, 2017 Annual Maritime Fun Fest - St. Augustine, Florida
St Augustine Maritime Heritage Festival, Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park.
May 27, 2017 Taste of Brickell Food & Wine Festival - Miami, Florida
The 6th annual community outreach event will feature samplings from Brickell area restaurants, wine tastings, kids zone, art exhibition and more!
2016 FLORIDA - MAY 2016
Food & Wine Festivals, Shows, Events
events still waiting for new datesMay 1, 2016 - Destination Cuisine Food and Travel Festival
Sarasota, Florida
Destination Cuisine is proud to announce it’s 1st Annual Food and Travel Festival. This exciting combination of international food, wine, craft beer, music, culinary stage, adventure activities, destination travel companies and international marketplace takes place in beautiful downtown Sarasota at Five Points Park from 11am-6pm. The event is a fundraiser to battle hunger in America and a portion of the proceeds will go to All Faiths Food Bank to contribute to the Summer Hunger Campaign. Located near the number one beach in the U. S., Sarasota can now be touted as the number one destination for international food and travel festivals.
May 14, 2016 10th Annual May Day Festival & BBQ Cook-Off
Defuniak Springs, Florida
There will be a host of activities for the kids, such as face painting, a magician as well as a model airplane show and demo. Come and be prepared for the various food vendors selling from fried Oreos, candy apples to oriental food to polish sausages. | 
