Enjoy the finer life: Try these wine and food festivals after quarantine

The coronavirus pandemic has put a damper on a lot of events. Festivals got canceled, tours were postponed, and vacations were put on hold. Here are some of the best wine & food festivals to experience now and after the pandemic ends.

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is an event hosted by Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. The festival typically takes place over the span of a few months, giving fans of wine & food an event to look forward to for an extended period of time.

So many activities to do at Epcot’s wine & food festival. Activities include cheese & beverage seminars, culinary demonstrations, shopping for global gifts, entertainment & music, and more for the whole family to enjoy.

Currently, the resort isn’t taking any reservations for the festival, but the official website says to check back for updates.

San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival

Those who enjoy wine & food festivals can celebrate! The San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival is scheduled to take place from Nov. 7th to Nov. 14th this year, with a “grand tasting” on the Embarcadero on Nov. 13th.

Dozens of celebrity chefs, hundreds of wineries, and a wide variety of events will be at San Diego’s festival. The official website describes the festival as “where sailboats and sandy beaches serve as the backdrop to one of the country’s most talked about weeks in food.”

Charleston Wine & Food Festival

Charleston, South Carolina is home to one of the coolest wine & food festivals around. Tens of thousands of guests attend the Charleston Wine & Food Festival each year. The celebration typically takes place in March, but the 2021 festival was canceled.

Charleston Wine & Food Festival’s website says “this city offers the perfect combination of place, people and food that result in an identity unlike any other in the world. Charleston Wine + Food infuses our homegrown flavor with top chefs, winemakers, authors, storytellers, artisans, and food enthusiasts from around the globe for a five-day event that spans the first full weekend each March.”

Austin Food & Wine Festival

Austin, Texas is another go-to option for lovers of wine & food festivals. The Austin Food & Wine Festival boasts events like gourmet taco competitions, culinary demonstrations, cooking classes, entertainment, and tastings just too good to miss.

The 2020 festival was canceled, but another one will come up this November. The festival is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, and all the happenings will take place from Nov. 5th to Nov. 7th 2021.

Bounty of Yamhill County

Sometimes the best wine & food festivals take place away from the hustle & bustle of a large, crowded city. Yamhill County, Oregon certainly isn’t a small area, but the location of this festival makes the adventure feel more secluded & private.

The Bounty of Yamhill County typically happens each August. At this festival, there’s always plenty of wines to taste and farm-to-table food to try. A vineyard hike is a popular activity at the festival.

Taste of Chicago

Like many wine & food festivals held during the pandemic, The Taste of Chicago had to get creative with how the event was carried out. In 2020, the festival was supposed to be held in Grant Park, however, COVID-19 prevented it from taking place there. Instead, a “To-Go” version of the festival with a variety of “new & reimagined events” was introduced.

“The Taste of Chicago is the nation’s premier free-admission food festival showcasing the diversity of Chicago’s dining scene, alongside a smorgasbord of cooking demonstrations, music concerts, art activations and family fun,” the festival’s official website says.

New Orleans Wine & Food Experience

The New Orleans Wine & Food Experience truly is an experience. The festival’s official website describes it as “one of the premier events in the Big Easy, showcasing what the city does best.”

This year, the festival is scheduled to take place in November. Hundreds of wineries & restaurants will be participating, and seminars will be available along with a number of tasting events.