3 Fantastic Food Festivals to Explore this June

Every June, food and beverage festivals draw major crowds from across the country to sample delicious bites and libations.

If you’re new to food festivals, you’re in for a treat! These events offer much more than meets the eye.

Today, we’re discussing three of the best food festivals you can enjoy in June.

Let’s dig in!

An extended hand holds out a tasty bite at an outdoor food festival.

What’s the Big Deal about June’s Food and Wine Festivals?

Folks who like indulging in exquisite eats and sumptuous sips should add food and wine festivals to their summer itineraries.

At these eclectic events, master chefs whip up culinary creations sure to please the senses. Every food festival is unique. Some, like barbecue festivals, celebrate regional cuisines or cooking styles, while others emphasize specific products like cheese or chocolate.

In addition to delicious flavors and a lively atmosphere, these parties often benefit the community. The funds from many food festivals go toward meaningful causes, such as neighborhood revitalization, medical research, student arts programs, and more. After all, the only thing that can make these events more alluring is knowing your ticket price goes to a good cause.

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3 June Food Festivals You Won’t Want to Miss

This June, hit up at least one of these unbeatable food and wine festivals and help yourself to flavors and aromas you won’t find anywhere else!

#1 New Orleans Wine & Food Experience

Known to locals and NOWFE, the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience brings together culinary specialists and wine enthusiasts from around the world in the ultimate foodie destination.

For one week in early June, the Crescent City hosts events at establishments all over town. You might enjoy an expertly curated wine dinner at one of the top NOLA restaurants. You can partake in a coffee cupping (tasting) with a java genius or test your chops as a vintner in a wine blending class.

You’ll also have access to unusual affairs like Burlesque, Bubbly, & Brunch, where you can enjoy tasty treats and a visual show.

While these smaller events allow you to delve into specialty topics, others bring everyone together to showcase a wide range of flavors. Vinola, which takes place at the famous Orpheum Theater, is the highest-level tasting of the week. Here, top-tier wine makers and award-winning chefs come together to display their best bites and bottles.

Where’s the Impact?

In its 30+ years, NOWFE organizers have raised over $1.5 million for great causes throughout the city.

The 2024 beneficiaries include The Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation, Delgado Community College Culinary Arts Program, and FirstLine School’s Edible Schoolyard Program, which offers local students hands-on gardening and cooking classes.

Here are the Best Day Trips Around New Orleans!

#2 Taste of Little Italy

San Diego’s Taste of Little Italy food festival occurs each year in mid-June. During this two-day celebration, you can stroll through 48 square blocks of culinary heaven as the neighborhood transforms into an enormous tasting event.

Over 20 restaurants will present traditional pizza and pasta, plus burgers, sushi, seafood, pastries, and much more. Several bars are also on the map, offering handmade cocktails and other libations.

When you arrive, you’ll get a Taste Passport to track everything you sample. As you stroll from location to location, you’ll hear live music and soak in the city’s sights.

Where’s the Impact?

San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood has been part of the city since the 1920s. Unfortunately, the construction of major roadways like the I-5 Freeway has diminished its historic charm.

The Little Italy Association of San Diego is a public benefit corporation dedicated to beautifying and revitalizing the neighborhood. The property owners, residents, and business owners who make up the organization all have a stake in the community, and their iconic June food festival is one way they ensure the neighborhood continues thriving.

Want more SoCal fun? Check out these Can’t-Miss Foodie Experiences in San Diego.

#3 Cheese Curd Festival

Squeaky, savory, and full of flavor, the humble cheese curd deserves celebrating. And that’s precisely what you’ll find each June at the Ellsworth, Wisconsin, Cheese Curd Festival. In fact, it was featured in USA Today’s 2023 list of Best Specialty Food Festivals.

During this annual event, guests will eat a whopping 6,000 pounds of cheese curds! In addition to more than 20 dishes inspired by the regional delicacy, you can also enjoy 30+ craft beers, hard ciders, and local wines.

Three young adults sit on the ground and enjoy tasty treats at a food festival.

But this party is about more than food and drink. You can rev your engines at the classic car show, stroll the vendor market for new swag, or prove your hardiness at the cheese curd eating contest.

Additionally, you can partake in many tastings that cover everything from beer and wine to milk and cookies. You’ll pay for these individual events, but you won’t care since admission to the festival itself is entirely free!

Where’s the Impact?

According to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, the Ellsworth Cheese Curd Festival funnels over $2.5 million into the community each June. In addition to supporting downtown businesses, this money goes toward revitalizing the East End district, which has suffered a downturn in recent years. This annual event is vital to restoring this neighborhood to its previous vibrancy.

Can’t make it to the festival? Grab a sample pack of Assorted Cheese Curds from the Wisconsin Cheese Company!

Are June’s Food and Wine Festivals Worth It?

June is the perfect time to celebrate tasty treats and splendid sippables at food and beverage festivals across the country. From coast to coast, these events spread good vibes and benefit their local communities.

As you make plans for summer vacation, keep these festivals in mind. After all, you just might find your new favorite cuisine or the best bottle of wine!