FLORIDA:  January  -  February  -  March  -  April  -  MAY  -  June

July  -  August  -  September  -  October  -  November  -  December
 

2017 FLORIDA - MAY 2017
Food & Wine Festivals, Shows, Events
(see also: 2016   -  2015  -  2014  -  2011)

May 5-6, 2017
National Pie Championships
Orlando, Florida
American Pie Council (APC) National Pie Championships.  Pie bakers from around the country compete to see who makes the best pies!

May 5-6, 2017
43rd 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 5-7, 2017 - 54th 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 6, 2017  11th 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 6-7, 2017   Venice Seafood & Music Festival
Venice, Florida
Hours are both Saturday and Sunday form 10am 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 7, 2017 - 34th Annual Taste of Collier - Naples, Florida
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.

May 7, 2017  Crawfish and Blues Cruise - Miramar Beach, Florida
Enjoy Cruise and Blues, Bugs and Brews on SunQuest Cruises SOLARIS’s annual Crawfish Cruise from 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. Guests will indulge in a spread fit for a Cajun King (or queen) as the SOLARIS chefs serve freshly boiled, perfectly seasoned crawfish while cruising the beautiful waters and listening to live blues music by Cadillac Willy.  Patrons will soak up the sun from the SOLARIS sky deck as they enjoy exquisite coastal cuisines in a Cajun-inspired, fun environment including Crawfish with all the trimmings from corn to potatoes. Other options include Shrimp, Jambalaya and Chicken Tenders with Chips for kids. A variety of cold brews will also be available as a refreshing compliment to the day.

May 11, 2017  Boynton Beach Food, Wine & Brew Festival
Boynton Beach, Florida
The Boynton Beach Food, Wine & Brew Festival, formerly known as the Taste of Boynton, is an exclusive showcase of Boynton Beach cuisines.  This annual event features 30 of Boynton’s finest restaurants and lounges along with wine and craft beer tastings.  Our festival is paradise for all foodies and winos that strive to eat and drink local.

May 12, 2017  The Clearwater Beach Taste Fest
Clearwater Beach, Florida
This event will feature a tasting from over 30 participating restaurant, wine & craft beer, live music from contemporary jazz player, Eric Darius, exquisite raffle items and an awesome fireworks display at 9 pm! We proudly announce Morton Plant Mease Health Foundation as the beneficiary this year.

May 12, 2017  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 13, 2017  33rd Annual Windsor Zucchini Festival - Windsor, Florida
The Festival will be a day of fun for everyone! Activities include Duke of Zuke & Zuqueenie Pageant, arts & crafts, Cook-a-Zuke contest, live music, hay rides, fried zucchini, zucchini ice cream, and contests for the biggest, ugliest and best carved zucchinis.

May 13, 2017  23rd 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 14, 2017  MOTHERS' DAY - Nationwide
Most restaurants in the U.S. have special events scheduled for today. They are too numerous to list.

May 15-25, 2017  8th Annual Clearwater Beach Restaurant Week
Clearwater Beach, Florida
Clearwater Beach Restaurant Week, an event promoted by the Clearwater Beach Chamber of Commerce, is celebrating its 8th year. The 2 week-long culinary celebration offers ‘foodies’ an opportunity to experience top-notch dining or casual cuisine, at all your favorite hot spots. Don’t hesitate to try something new! The annual event is a great benefit for both diners and the restaurant community. An incredible array of different cuisines is a cornerstone of the beach vibrancy.  During Restaurant Week, each participating restaurant will offer a delicious prix fixe menu priced from $15 to $35. Some restaurants offer a prix fixe menu for lunch at prices of $10 to $15. Restaurants will be competing for the “Best in Class” in a variety of categories. Diners will have an opportunity to vote on their experience at each restaurant. Each vote will be entered into a drawing for great prizes.

May 17-21, 2017  National Association of Flour Distributors Annual Convention - Palm Beach, Florida
The NAFD sponsors an all-industry forum addressing strategic issues impacting the  flour distribution supply chain. In addition to manufacturer and distributor decision  makers, senior-level ingredient suppliers participate in the NAFD four-day meeting.  The program is designed with an intensive educational agenda to assist members in  improving their bottom lines. This conference is an excellent opportunity to network  with key customers, potential customers and other flour industry colleagues.

May 19, 2017  Orange Bowl Food and Wine Celebration
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
The Orange Bowl's annual signature wine and food event showcasing more than 30 of South Florida’s finest restaurants and chefs featuring live entertainment throughout the evening. Guests will enjoy an intimate party atmosphere featuring an all-inclusive offering of premium quality sample sized portions with little to no waiting in lines. As a South Florida based non-profit, please know that the community is incredibly thankful of your support. Our goal is to raise more than $100k for organizations including Make-A-Wish Southern Florida, Special Olympics and the Orange Bowl Leadership Academy.  Tickets: $95 GA (All-Inclusive) Celebrate an all-inclusive evening with some of the best offerings in food and entertainment available throughout South Florida. Start Time: 7:30pm •  $225 VIP Tickets. Get in an hour early and explore an exclusive area with unique samplings to compliment your fantastic evening. Start Time: 6:30pm

May 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, 2017  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.´

May 20, 2017  Food Truck Wars: Heroes Edition - Sanford, Florida
Seminole Towne Center.  12pm to 7pm.  40 Food Trucks competing for 5 awards, judges, live music, beer garden, kids area, local heroes.  Free Admission / Free Parking / Kids area $5.  A portion of proceeds benefit local charities.

May 20-21, 2017  St. Armands Seafood & Music Festival 2017
Sarasota, Florida
St. Armands Circle Park, both Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm.  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.

May 26-29, 2017  Blue Crab Festival - Palatka, Florida
Annual Festival--as always, on Memorial Day Weekend. Arts & crafts, beauty pageant, seafood cookoff, and entertainment.

May 27, 2017  Central Florida's BBQ Blowout - Oviedo, Florida
Central Florida’s BBQ Blowout is smokin’ ready for its fifth year!  Our approach is creating a wonderful BBQ and music festival that can be appreciated by all! This year we will have 10 professional BBQ teams vending a variety of BBQ. There will also be treats to keep you cool – ice cream and Italian ice to name a few.  What’s new? Glad you asked! Last year we incorporated the new Kid-Que Competition that was WILDLY successful – and we are expanding on it this year! The Kid-Que is where local kids and professional pit masters get paired up in an epic cooking competition.  This deliciously fun festival has quickly become a signature event in the community and is also for a great cause. Two organizations, the Oviedo-Winter Springs Regional Chamber of Commerce and Helpful Hands, a local community non-profit, will bring their strengths together and invite you to join in helping our communities.

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 dates

May 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.
 

2015 FLORIDA - MAY 2015
Food Shows and Local Food, Beer and Wine Event
events still waiting for new dates

May 16, 2015  Arcadia Watermelon Festival - Arcadia, Florida
Food and Entertainment; Arts and Crafts; Wacky River Race; Bed Race; Kids Korner; Watermelon Pageants, etc.

May 30, 2015  5th Annual Deerfield Beach Wine & Food Festival
Deerfield Beach, Florida
Here’s a great family-friendly event to celebrate the end of school and the beginning of summer, so pack up the kids and head out to Quiet Waters Park in Deerfield Beach to enjoy a wide range of noshing opportunities from a lineup of south Florida restaurateurs, private caterers and your favorite food trucks. There will be Craft Beers and Specialty Wines for the Adults and fun beverages for the Kids. There’s something for everyone!
 

2014 FLORIDA - MAY 2014
Food & Wine Festivals, Shows, Events
events still waiting for new dates

May 9-10, 2014  A Taste of Pinellas - St. Petersburg, Florida
A Taste of Pinellas benefiting All Children's Hospital.

May 17, 2014  Bunnell Potato Festival - Bunnell, Florida
This event has been cancelled for 2015.

May 18, 2014  9th Annual Taste of the Beach - St. Augustine, Florida
Taste of the Beach has moved to the Fall - New Date for 2015 Taste of the Beach is Sunday, October 18.
 

2011 FLORIDA - MAY 2011
Food Shows and Local Food, Beer and Wine Events
events still waiting for new dates

May 7, 2011  Hastings Potato and Cabbage Festival - Hastings, Florida
Come help celebrate this year's harvest season as this annual event returns to St.Johns County. Known as the Potato Capitol of Florida, the town of Hastings will host a fun-filled day with entertainment of all kinds, kids' activities, art and history exhibits and a Farmer's Market.

May 14-15, 2011  Zellwood Sweet Corn Festival - Zellwood, Florida
Will NOT take place in 2012. UPDATE: no festival in 2013 either.

May 27-28, 2011  4th Annual Blazin-n-Butts & Brisket BBQ Competition
Brooksville, Florida
Over 35 professional teams and more than a dozen regional “backyard” amateurs are expected to compete. Enjoy award winning BBQ, family entertainment, and exhibits! Proceeds will support the not for profit Friends of the Children.