A tomato-themed second line. Fried chicken and live pickin’ under the Ozark stars. The South’s favorite refreshment poured by the gallon. Around the region, summer food festivals combine fun, tradition, and plenty of indulgence.
Zest Fest
May 29–31, Fort Worth, Texas
Temperatures are already soaring by the start of summer in Texas, so a little more sweat won’t hurt. This festival dedicated to all things spicy brings the heat in the form of sauces, snacks, spice mixes, and more to the Will Rogers Memorial Center. Also on tap: cooking demos, eating competitions (last year’s event involved hot wings and jalapeños), and platters of barbecue.
Cherry Bounce Festival
June 5–6, Forest City, North Carolina
In the late 1800s, a moonshiner named Amos Owens infused corn liquor with fruit from Cherry Mountain, and Cherry Bounce was born. His outlawed concoction landed him in jail multiple times, but now it’s the official cocktail of the state capital and the inspiration for this small-town festival where restaurants, food trucks, and other businesses dish out their best cherry drinks and bites.
Creole Tomato Festival
June 6–7, New Orleans
From potent Bloody Marys to ruby parasols twirling in the Ripe and Ready second line parade, this fortieth-anniversary event paints the Crescent City’s French Market red. Tomato fans can enjoy the delicacy every which way—topped with crab salad, stuffed with shrimp pasta, sandwiched between white bread, and by the cardboard flat, to name a few.
North Carolina Ground Steak Festival
June 13, Dobson, North Carolina
During the Great Depression, diner cooks in the foothills of North Carolina created a sandwich filling made out of seasoned ground beef thickened with flour and water or milk. Served on a bun with mayonnaise, slaw, and tomato, the loose-meat ground steak patty was a thrifty way to stretch a pound of meat. Now it’s a local staple that has its own trail in Surry County and an annual event at which folks line up for a taste from four different vendors. Travis Frye, the county’s tourism coordinator, says the dish “has a juicy, melt-in-your-mouth flavor that is unmistakable.”
Florida Mango Festival
June 27, West Palm Beach, Florida
In Florida, backyard mango trees drip with fruit in the summer—and that’s still not enough for true obsessives. This fresh festival showcases hundreds of varieties, with names like Orange Sherbet and Sweet Tart, from farms across the state. “Mango growing land is very limited, and these people have some of the best properties in the U.S. Their mangoes are phenomenal,” says Vince Rogers, owner of Backyard Mangoes and one of the event’s organizers. Ticket holders can also buy trees, try other tropical fruits, and attend lectures and discussions.
Alabama Sweet Tea Festival
August 16, Enterprise, Alabama
There aren’t many good reasons to leave the comfort of air-conditioning in August—unless there are massive quantities of sweet tea to be had. Alabama’s love of the iconic Southern beverage runs deep thanks to homegrown companies like Milo’s, Red Diamond, and Royal Cup and this annual celebration. Festivalgoers can vote for the best home brew, take part in a tea-chugging contest, and cool off with snow cones.
Bluegrass and Fried Chicken Festival
August 21–22, Mountain View, Arkansas
In the so-called Folk Music Capital of the World, bluegrass is always in the air. But there’s only one weekend when it’s paired with all-you-can-eat fried chicken. At Ozark Folk Center State Park, artists will perform in the 1,000-seat Ozark Highlands Theater. In between sets from the likes of Mountain Highway and The Gravel Yard, head to the Skillet, the park’s restaurant, for a fried chicken buffet.
