Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Examples of food festivals
USA
Maine Lobster Festival
Milford Pumpkin Festival, New Hampshire
Vermont Maple Festival
National Cranberry Festival
Potato and Corn Festival, North Branford, Connecticut
National Buffalo Wing Festival, Buffalo, New York
Maryland Seafood Festival
World Biggest Fish Fry, Paris, Tennessee
North Carolina Pickle Festival
Vidalia Onion Festival, Vidalia, Georgia
National Grits Festival, Warwick, Georgia
Windsor Zucchini Festival, Windsor, Florida
Alabama Butterbean Festival,
Louisiana Sweet Potato Festival, Yambilee, Louisiana
Dandelion Festival, Dover, Ohio
. . . and the list goes on.
There is always something or a local product that a region can celebrate.
Around the world
There are numerous festivals celebrating food around the world, far too
many to list here. The following are some of the festivals we recommend.
Australia
The Margaret River 'Gourmet Escape' Weekend (
www.gourmetescape.com.au)
is one of the best new examples of how food tourism has developed in recent
years. The weekend is held in the south-west of Western Australia and is
located at Margaret River, one of the remotest places you can find for a food
tourism event. It highlights what can be achieved with vision and is now an
important event on the state events' calendar.
The keys to success are:
• Attract celebrity 'Food Thinkers' and develop an educational programme
around food. The celebrity food thinkers in the past have included Heston
Blumenthal, Rick Stein as well as other international and national chefs,
food critics and celebrities;
• Involve all the local food tourism destinations and promote the region
rather than the venue;
• Develop a Gourmet Village where suppliers of food and cooking utensils
and equipment can provide information, tips and products;
• Visitors are encouraged to use 'GEM's, which are the official currency of
the event and used to purchase food and drinks on site. This allows con-
trol over the consumption of food and alcohol on the site.
The LiveLighter Araluen's Fremantle Chilli Festival
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is held in the port
city of Fremantle in Western Australia in March each year. It is now in the
