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There are few better ways to experience a region than through its food. With a nationally acclaimed dining scene and a bevy of signature eats, that’s certainly true of Philadelphia. Luckily, there are tons of awesome food festivals hitting the area this year that let residents and visitors do just that.
Along with massive alfresco and tented events that showcase the culinary classics of our city and the talent behind them, there are also plenty of delicious festivals that allow folks to dive deep into the cuisines of other cultures, learn about top produce picks of the season, enjoy traditional American comfort foods and more.
Tempt your tastebuds by browsing the list below of the biggest food festivals coming to Philadelphia this year, arranged chronologically.
Head to the Crystal Tea Room for the annual Philadelphia Restaurant Festival, featuring three hours of amazing food from Philly restaurants, craft cocktails and live entertainment. Participating eateries include Porta, Vista Peru, Fishtown Brewpub and more.
Where: Crystal Tea Room, 100 E. Penn Square, Philadelphia, PA
Manayunk Restaurant Week begins with vendors and food trucks joining Main Street’s lineup of restaurants for an all-day eat fest. During the ensuing Restaurant Week, brick-and-mortar eateries offer multi-course prix-fixe menus for $15, $25 and $35.
Where: Main Street & Green Lane, Philadelphia, PA
The seventh annual Black Food & Dessert Expo heads to Old City this year. The event features more than 20 Black chefs, bakers and more, and tickets to the event cover admission and six sample tickets. Bonus: Guests can sample the food — then buy their favorites to take home.
Where: Old Pine Community Center, 401 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, PA
South Philly’s buzzing East Passyunk Avenue celebrates its culinary spirit when more than two dozen of the neighborhood’s most popular restaurants and bars gather to dish out their goods. Bands, a fashion show and a craft market entertain outdoors.
Where: East Passyunk Avenue from Dickinson Street to Morris Street, Philadelphia, PA
Lincoln Financial Field’s SCA Club hosts this annual event featuring more than 500 hard-to-find vintages and rare blends, paired with fare from some of the city’s most prestigious restaurants.
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, 1 Lincoln Financial Field Way, Philadelphia, PA
Brauhaus Schmitz and the South Street Headhouse District close South Street to car traffic from Headhouse Square to 8th Street to create this annual springtime street fair, where food trucks and South Street eateries provide delicious food and drink. During the fest-within-a-fest Maifest, revelers can sample German beers and food like bratwurst and sauerkraut, shop from street vendors and see German dancers perform the traditional Maypole dance.
Where: South Street from 2nd Street to 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA
May 4, 2019 and October 5, 2019
Food trucks line the streets of Phoenixville for a day-long food festival in both the spring and the fall. Adding to the fun, local restaurants like Frano Ristorante, Iron Hill Brewery and more serve food right along Main Street while vendors sell homemade snacks and handmade trinkets.
Where: Main & Bridge streets, Phoenixville, PA
Dance (and eat) the night away at The Lucy for MANNA’s The Main Course event. The event features live music and plenty of food from select Philly restaurants and chefs.
Where: The Lucy, 231 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
Hosted at the Xcite Center at Parx Casino, the first-ever Bucks County Food & Wine Festival showcases some of the finest food, wine and beer found in Bucks County and beyond. Attendees can enjoy bites and sips from participating chefs, restaurants, wineries and breweries and watch a celebrity chef cook-off — none other than Marc Murphy, acclaimed chef, restaurateur and judge on The Food Network’s hit TV show Chopped, is slated to make an appearance. Festival events also take place at Parx Casino’s Liberty Bell Gastropub and brand new 7,600-square-foot beer garden.
Where: Parx Casino, 2999 Street Road, Bensalem, PA
Over 100 vendors set up along Walnut Street to showcase the area’s best shopping, art, food, drink and more at the annual Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival. A crowd of more than 50,000 typically comes out to the charming Rittenhouse neighborhood for this event, which features dozens of the area’s restaurants set up along the sidewalks of Walnut Street, serving up samples of spring fare.
Where: Walnut Street between Broad Street and 19th Street, Philadelphia, PA
Everyone’s Italian when the nation’s oldest outdoor market throws this annual street fair. Multiple stages of live entertainment provide the soundtrack for the neighborhood-wide party featuring Italian, Mexican and Vietnamese delicacies made by the market’s merchants — and a greased pole-climbing contest.
Where: South 9th Street Italian Market, 9th Street & Washington Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
Berry fans sample pies, tarts, shortcake, jams and preserves at Peddler’s Village’s annual celebration of spring’s first fruit. Strawberries of all sorts, live entertainment and pie-eating contests are some of the festivities at this free annual Bucks County festival.
Where: Peddler's Village, 2400 Street Road, New Hope, PA
May 30 – August 29, 2019 (Thursdays only)
Food trucks, vendors, live music and more come to Main Street in Manayunk every Thursday night during the neighborhood’s Stroll the Street events. Select neighborhood retailers and restaurants join in on the fun by offering enticing deals of their own — like $6 appetizer and cocktail specials and store discounts — during the event.
Where: Main Street, Philadelphia, PA
May Through October 2019 (select dates)
This popular pop-up street festival unites Philly’s top mobile food purveyors with the city’s most enthusiastic eaters and highlights a different neighborhood during each event (typically four per year), with live music and entertainment. This year, the Night Market heads to El Centro De Oro (May 9; postponed from May 2), Overbrook (June 20) Fairmount Avenue (August 15) and Point Breeze (October 3).
Where: Various locations including El Centro De Oro, 5th Street and Lehigh Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
It’s all strawberries, all the time at this early-summer fest on a 300-acre family farm in Media, visitors can head out into the field to pick their own strawberries. Also appearing: Delaware County’s largest strawberry shortcake.
Where: Linvilla Orchards, 137 W. Knowlton Road, Media, PA
The Chester County Blues Barbecue returns this year to fill the expansive Wyndsor Farm in Elverson with awesome music and the sweet smell of authentic, Texas-style barbecue (supplied by Stampede Smokin’ BBQ). Prior to each of the four acts on the main stage and during breaks, guests can hear local blues artists perform in the Sly Fox Beer Tent.
Where: Wyndsor Farm, 2550 Ridge Road, Elverson, PA
Thursday, June 6 and Thursday, September 12, 2019
Looking for a bargain? During University City’s Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll events, local restaurants and businesses offer attendees bites to eat and other goods for the incredibly reasonable price of $1.
Where: Baltimore Avenue from 43rd to 52nd streets, Philadelphia, PA
Taste exquisite cuisine prepared by some of the country’s best chefs at The Great Chefs Event Philadelphia, Marc Vetri’s fine dining festival that benefits the fight against childhood cancer. The event returns once more to South Philly’s The Navy Yard for delicious food and fun for a great cause.
Where: Urban Outfitters Headquarters, 5000 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
Celebrate and learn more about vegan and whole-food-plant-based lifestyles at VegFest. Vendors and exhibitors of vegan food, art and other goods set up shop at Bainbridge Green for this fabulous day that also features live music, speakers and cooking demonstrations.
Where: Bainbridge Green, 300 Bainbridge Street, Philadelphia, PA
Aromas of African, Caribbean and soul foods fill the air at the East Coast’s largest African-American street festival. Live performances and art vendors span 12 city blocks, and include merchants and makers of fried fish, big drinks, corn on the cob and much more.
Where: Grays Ferry Avenue & South Street, Philadelphia, PA
Every summer, Penn’s Landing celebrates the diverse cultures that make Philadelphia distinctive through free events as part of the PECO Multicultural Series, including the Hispanic Fiesta, the Islamic Heritage Festival, Brazilian Day and others. Festival-goers can look forward to global music, dancing, crafts, pride and, of course, food.
Where: Great Plaza at Penn's Landing, 101 S. Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA
In mid-June, Peddler’s Village hosts its Art and Wine Festival, where outdoor art, performances, and food and wine tastings take center stage.
Peddler’s Village throws an afternoon-long picnic for the Fourth of July. Come out for favorites like hot dogs and hamburgers, along with kids’ activities and live music.
Linvilla Orchards celebrates blueberries during its annual, aptly named Blueberry Festival. Highlights include picking your own berries, hayrides and a blueberry-pie-eating contest.
More than 30 eclectic University City restaurants take part in a three-course, three-price dinner promo featuring $15, $25 or $35 meals (not including tax, alcohol or gratuity).
Where: Various locations including Dock Street Brewing Company, 701 S. 50th Street, Philadelphia, PA
Blueberry pies, butters, jellies, preserves and even popcorn are some of the goodies guests can find at the weekend-long Bluegrass and Blueberries Festival at p. Enjoy live country and bluegrass music as well as shopping at more than 60 shops throughout the village.
Celebrate the deliciousness of freshly harvested peaches at this annual peach festival at Linvilla Orchards. The festival offers pick-your-own peach activities, family games, crafts, music and plenty of treats (read: pies) to sample.
Northern Liberties, the neighborhood that helped launch Philly’s craft beer craze, closes down North 2nd Street for this festival of beer gardens, food, workshops, art, street performances and two stages for live music.
Where: 2nd Street and Poplar Street between Spring Garden Street and Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
What better way to celebrate National Peach Month than at the annual Peddler’s Village Peach Festival? The two-day fest promises plenty of delicious peach-themed treats, shopping and more.
The Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild celebrates the 10th anniversary of a three-day event that attracts thousands of participants to multiple venues, including Bartram’s Garden, the Wyck Historic House and Glen Foerd on the Delaware. Activities include beekeeping demos, speakers, brewing sessions, honey extraction, cooking demos, children’s activities — and vendors with plenty of sweet take-homes.
Where: Various locations including Bartram's Garden, 5400 Lindbergh Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA
More than 100,000 people participate in a celebration of the top crop of Kennett Square, Chester County, the nation’s mushroom-growing capital. The 34th-such weekend features tastings, cooking demos, cook-offs, farm tours, a 5K, nighttime parade and wine-and-soup mini-fest — all ’shroom.
Where: South Union & West State streets, Kennett Square, PA
South Street’s annual German block party — hosted by Brauhaus Schmitz — features 2,000 pounds of sausage and just as much oompah.
Where: Brauhaus Schmitz, 718 South Street, Philadelphia, PA
This elegant and popular live arts/culinary arts combination of food, cocktails and performance arrives at a new location — Cherry Street Pier — for 2019. Last year’s FEASTIVAL featured food from Suraya, Parc, Spice Finch and more. Stay tuned for more info.
Where: Cherry Street Pier, 121 N. Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA
The Midtown Village Fall Festival is one of Philadelphia’s biggest fall fests of the year. The annual neighborhood affair attracts thousands of visitors in one day to experience a variety of activities including multiple stages of live entertainment, tons of food and beverage sampling from the excellent area restaurants, merchant and vendor displays, children’s activities and more.
Where: South 13th & Chestnut streets, Philadelphia, PA
Prost! Peddler’s Village celebrates Oktoberfest each year with its two-day OctoberFEAST. The celebration features plenty of German fare, German beers, live entertainment and more for the entire family. Note that food and drink are pay as you go.
There’s no better place to explore Old City’s food scene than at the annual Old City Fest. Previous years’ fests have featured food and drink vendors serving up fare from popular neighborhood restaurants like Cuba Libre, Continental, Franklin Fountain and more. Guests can also enjoy live entertainment and shopping from vendors selling everything from artwork to home goods.
Where: 3rd & Arch Streets, Philadelphia, PA
Apple lovers get their fill at Peddler’s Village’s annual two-day festival featuring apple butter, cider, dumplings and fritters, as well as a juried craft show, live entertainment and pie-eating contests.
The buzz returns every year when the annual coffee and tea celebration comes to town. The event, held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, offers more than 50 exhibitors, plus experts, tastings, gift bags and much more.
Where: The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Avenue, Oaks, PA
The Visit Philly Overnight Package — booked more than 190,000 times since 2001 — comes with free hotel parking (worth up to $100 in Center City Philadelphia) and overnight hotel accommodations.
A month-by-month guide to the biggest, can’t-miss events in the City of Brotherly Love...