Top 5 Food Festivals in San Francisco
April 5, 2010
•Le Cordon Bleu
•San Francisco
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Top 5 Food Festivals in San Francisco
Where can you go to celebrate your love for chocolate, asparagus, garlic, artichokes, tomatoes, and various types of seafood? California of course. It is one of the biggest food producing states and has some of the biggest food festivals found anywhere. From single day events to week long celebrations, California’s food festivals can provide gastronomic delights for one and all.
Food festivals have always been popular activities in the United States. Their popularity has grown greatly in the last few decades as industry councils and marketing boards have realized their power to promote their foods. Cities have also gotten into the act as they produce or promote music and food festivals in an attempt to get people out of the suburbs and visiting their downtown areas. Food festivals also make for great fundraising activities. Some of the largest food festivals in California give proceeds to local and national charities.
The San Francisco Bay area has a wide variety of food festivals from which to choose. And if you’re willing to spring for a tank of gas, you can find even more throughout Central and Northern California. Let’s take a look at some the region’s favorite food festivals.
- Ghirardelli Square Chocolate Festival
Yes, Virginia. There is a Santa Claus. And yes, there is also a festival devoted entirely to chocolate. The Annual Ghirardelli Square Chocolate Festival has been bringing together chocolatiers and chocolate lovers for over 14 years. Come early to enjoy chef demonstrations, samples, sundae eating competitions, and some of the best chocolate treats around.
- Gilroy Garlic Festival
As far as food festivals go, Gilroy is king. It has been going strong for over 30 years and has an attendance of more than 100,000. Visitors can enjoy stages full of musical entertainment, the Great Garlic Cook-off, celebrity cooking demonstrations, a children's area, arts and crafts, and many interactive displays.
- San Francisco Oyster & Beer Festival
San Francisco is well known for serving some of the freshest and most delicious seafood available on the West Coast, specifically Dungeness crab and oysters. The San Francisco Oyster & Beer Festival celebrates that heritage with cooking demos, shucking competitions, an oyster history expo, cold beer and top notch musical talent. Like a growing number of food festivals, the proceeds benefit local charities.
- SF Chefs. Food. Wine.
San Francisco is progressive not only politically, but culturally. The sustainable food and organic food movements are rooted in this region. SF Chefs. Food. Wine. is a food and wine event celebrating the unique flavor, diversity and bounty of Northern California. Classes and seminars offer opportunities for the public to participate with local farmers, ranchers, chefs, winemakers, distillers, media, luminaries, authors, and culinary experts. It is truly a who’s who of San Francisco food culture.
- Fairfield Tomato Festival & West Coast Barbeque Championship
With tomatoes as a key ingredient for most barbeque sauces, it makes sense that this famous tomato festival should join forces with the California Barbeque Association’s West Coast Barbeque Championship. This 3-day festival celebrates the agricultural history of the region featuring Tomato Alley where more than 50 varieties of heirloom tomatoes and gourmet tomato products can be sampled and purchased. Barbeque lovers will want to attend to sample the smoky meats created by 30 competition barbeque teams vying for top honors.
Any visit to San Francisco or the surrounding area should include a trip to one of these or any of the other delicious and entertaining food festivals. Each will be an experience worth the visit. How many times do you think you’ll have the chance to taste garlic ice cream anyway?
This article is presented by California Culinary Academy. California Culinary Academy offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs in San Francisco, California. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit http://www.Chefs.edu/San-Francisco for more information.
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