Take your taste buds on a cultural journey this summer season. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, we’ve got all the can’t-miss food festivals around the Garden State!
MAY
16: Spice up your life! The 26th Annual New Jersey State Chili & Salsa Festival in Toms River is sure to rock your taste buds. Participate by casting your votes for the People’s Choice awards portion of the cook-off.
23: In celebration of Jersey’s finest culinary achievement (well, at least we like to think so), the 2nd Annual Pork Roll Festival will be held at Mill Park in Trenton.
Courtesy of Jeff Stewart Photography
23-24: The Garden State Wine Growers Association hosts the Blues, Wine & BBQ Festival at Schooley’s Mountain Park in Long Valley, boasting 20 wineries and some of the state’s most popular BBQ food on wheels.
23-25: Speaking of food trucks, there will be plenty of meals on wheels when the Jersey Shore Food Truck Festival rolls into Monmouth Park Memorial Day Weekend.
24: Ditch the backyard BBQ and head to Mountain Creek for the Smoke ‘N Blues Festival.
29-31: Take a trip to New Orleans (or the Sussex County Fairgrounds) for the 26th Annual Crawfish Fest, a 3-day-long southern-stye cookout with a musical lineup everyone can enjoy.
Courtesy of Andrea J. Bartholomew Photography
30: Watch as Jersey and Philly face off in the ultimate Food Truck Mash-Up when the trucks make a pit-stop at the Meadowlands for JerseyFest 2015.
30: Make your taste buds tingle by sampling some hot sauces, then cool off with some locally-made craft beer at the Hop Sauce Festival in Beach Haven.
Courtesy of Ryan Johnson for Ann Coen Photography
30: Manahawkin knows just how to kick off the summer season. With a total of five Food Truck Jams from May to September, there’s sure to be one day that works with your busy summer schedule!
31: Delicious eats with a side of culture? Yes, please! Atlantic Highlands is serving up food with flair at the Eats & Arts Festival featuring local chefs and artists.
JUNE
4-7: OPA! Celebrate your Greek heritage…or just pretend for the day. Stop by the Bayshore Greek Festival in Holmdel to experience a cultural celebration for the senses.
5-7: Mamma Mia, here we go again! There’s even more Greek food to be had at the Big Greek Festival in Randolph. A whole weekend full of food, fun and cultural traditions is in store.
6: Berries abound in Cape May—strawberries, that is. The Strawberry Festival is a popular event held yearly to honor this berry-delicious fruit just in time for the summer season.
Courtesy of PaulSteinJC via Flickr/Creative Commons
12: The food truck fun is just beginning! More moveable feasts to be had at the Hammonton Food Truck Festival.
12-14: There shore is nothing like sampling coastal cuisine from around the state right by the water. Spend the weekend in Belmar at the NJ Seafood Festival, which features over 40 food vendors, craft beer and wine.
20: The Hot Rods & Food Trucks Festival is precisely what it sounds like it is. Spend the day admiring hundreds of hot rods while filling up on food truck fare in Seaside Heights!
20-21: There’s even more fishy fun to be had at Baymen’s Seafood & Music Festival in Tuckerton. Local commercial fisherman will be in attendance for demonstrations and fresh clam tastings, too.
26-28: Sea Isle City is kicking it up a notch with its not one, but three-day-long Food Truck Fest. Wash down those culinary delights with craft beers and cocktails.
26: Food Truck Fridays should be regular thing…at least we think so. Stop by the Hopewell Train Station for a fantastic lineup. A second festival is scheduled for Friday, September 11.
27: The first commercial crop of blueberries came from our very own Whitesbog. Now in its 32nd year, the Annual Blueberry Festival continues to honor that legacy.
Courtesy of rsseattle via Flickr/Creative Commons
27: Just when you thought the food truck fun was over, the Just Jersey Food Truck & Music Festival shows up! Head to Waterloo Village in Stanhope for more than 25 different options.
27: Jazz hands for Viking Village’s Jazzy Scallop & Seafood Festival, everyone! The fishing docks in Barnegat Light on LBI will certainly be lively for this event, now in its 7th year.
27-28: Have a finger-lickin’ good time at the Rock, Ribs & Ridges Festival which will be held at the Sussex County Fairgrounds. Performances by Marshall Tucker and former Lynard Skynard drummer Artimus Pyle make this a can’t-miss event!
27-28: But it wasn’t a rock…it was a LobsterFest! This Bradley Beach festival is in its 7th year and promises not to disappoint with more lobster than ever before and a huge beer and wine garden.
Courtesy of prayitnophotography via Flickr/Creative Commons