Park It + Pour It! Food & Drink Festivals Happening Across the USA: August, 2025
If your perfect summer involves sipping rosé under twinkle lights, dancing in the streets with a lobster roll in one hand and a craft beer in the other, or tasting your way through a garlic-infused fantasy, then August is your month.
I’ve curated a definitive list of food and drink festivals across the United States this August. Whether you're looking for wine tastings, taco trucks, cultural feasts, or quirky small-town celebrations, there’s something for every palate. Each event includes location details, estimated pricing, 21+ restrictions, and even a fun fact about the city or state.
🍇 August 1–3, 2025
America’s Grape Country Craft Beverage Festival — Dunkirk, NY
📍 Chautauqua County Fairgrounds
💰 Tasting tickets: ~$32–$43, DD tickets ~$10, camping extra
🍷 21+ for tastings
✅ Includes: souvenir glass, unlimited tastings, live music, kick-off party
📌 Fun fact: Dunkirk lies in the heart of New York’s “Grape Country,” one of the largest grape-growing regions east of the Rockies.
Watsonville Strawberry Festival — Watsonville, CA
📍 Downtown Watsonville
💰 Free admission, food and games priced separately
👨👩👧 All ages welcome
✅ Includes: strawberry treats, live music, arts & crafts
📌 Fun fact: Watsonville grows more strawberries than anywhere else in California!
Live Music at Arrigoni Winery — Portland, CT
📍 Arrigoni Winery, recurring Fri–Sun in August
💰 $10–$15 cover; wine sold separately
🍷 21+ for alcohol
✅ Includes: live music, wine by the glass or bottle
📌 Fun fact: This charming small-batch winery is nestled along the Connecticut Wine Trail.
🧄 August 2–3, 2025
Glorious Garlic Festival — Geneva, NY
📍 Fox Run Vineyards
💰 Free entry; food & wine sold onsite
👨👩👧 All ages welcome
✅ Includes: garlic-inspired cuisine, wine tastings, live demos
📌 Fun fact: Geneva sits at the northern tip of Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes wine region.
🌮 August 3, 2025
Latin Festival: Tacos & Tequila — Oceanport, NJ
📍 Monmouth Park Racetrack
💰 ~$12–$15 entry; tacos & tequila sold separately
🍷 21+ for tequila tastings
✅ Includes: mariachi bands, taco trucks, tequila bars
📌 Fun fact: Monmouth Park is one of the oldest horse racetracks in the U.S., dating back to 1870.
🌆 August 6, 2025
Taste of Andersonville — Chicago, IL
📍 Andersonville neighborhood
💰 ~$40–$50
👨👩👧 All ages; 21+ for alcohol tastings
✅ Includes: progressive dinner-style tastings from over 30 restaurants
📌 Fun fact: Andersonville is known for its Swedish roots and independent food scene.
🍺 August 8–10, 2025
Dancing in the Streets — Chicago Brewing District
📍 Hubbard Street between Ashland & Paulina
💰 Free entry; beer & food available for purchase
🍺 21+ to consume alcohol
✅ Includes: live music, food trucks, brewery pop-ups
📌 Fun fact: This fest takes place among some of Chicago’s top breweries like On Tour and Goose Island Barrel House.
🧀 August 9, 2025
Taste of Albany Park — Chicago, IL
📍 Kedzie & Lawrence
💰 ~$30 tasting tickets
👨👩👧 All ages
✅ Includes: global eats from this multicultural neighborhood
📌 Fun fact: Albany Park is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the U.S.
Summer Wine Tasting Soirée — San Diego, CA
📍 Mission Bay Beach Club
💰 ~$45–$60
🍷 21+ only
✅ Includes: wine flights, beach views, small bites
📌 Fun fact: Mission Bay is the largest man-made aquatic park in the country.
William Chris Vineyards Harvest Festival — Hye, TX
📍 William Chris Vineyards
💰 ~$75
🍷 21+ only
✅ Includes: grape stomp, live music, wine tastings
📌 Fun fact: Hye is part of the Texas Hill Country AVA, the second-largest wine region in the U.S.
TWC Grape Stomp & Paella Party — Hye, TX
📍 Texas Wine Collective
💰 ~$65
🍷 21+ only
✅ Includes: paella lunch, live music, wine, grape stomp
📌 Fun fact: The winery sits along famed Wine Road 290.
Summer of Riesling — Amity, OR
📍 Varnum Vintners
💰 ~$30–$40
🍷 21+ only
✅ Includes: Riesling flights, food pairings
📌 Fun fact: Amity is located in the Willamette Valley AVA, Oregon’s top wine-producing region.
Summer Soirée Poolside — Eola-Amity Hills AVA, OR
📍 AtTheJoy Luxury Retreat
💰 ~$80–$100
🍷 21+ only
✅ Includes: pool party, wine, local food
📌 Fun fact: Eola-Amity Hills is prized for its cool-climate Pinot Noir.
🥦 August 9–10, 2025
Veggie Fest — Lisle, IL
📍 Danada South Park
💰 Free admission
👨👩👧 All ages
✅ Includes: vegetarian food vendors, yoga, wellness talks
📌 Fun fact: This is one of the largest vegetarian festivals in North America.
🧄 August 13, 2025
Garlic Fest — Highwood, IL
📍 Downtown Highwood
💰 Free admission
👨👩👧 All ages
✅ Includes: garlic-infused everything, live music
📌 Fun fact: Highwood holds Guinness World Records for the most lit pumpkins in one place.
🎨🍷 August 16, 2025
Mt. Helix Food & Wine Festival — San Diego, CA
📍 Mt. Helix Nature Theatre
💰 ~$75–$125
🍷 21+ only
✅ Includes: unlimited tastings, local food, live music, art
📌 Fun fact: This open-air amphitheater sits atop a mountain with panoramic views of San Diego.
The Art of the Crisp: Chips and Wine Pairing — Hye, TX
📍 Texas Wine Collective
💰 ~$45
🍷 21+ only
✅ Includes: curated potato chip & wine pairings
📌 Fun fact: They once paired jalapeño chips with Viognier!
Oak Park Microbrew Review — Oak Park, IL
📍 Downtown Oak Park
💰 ~$35–$55
🍺 21+ only
✅ Includes: unlimited beer tastings from over 70 breweries
📌 Fun fact: Oak Park is the birthplace of architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
🦞 August 16–17, 2025
Great American Lobster Fest — Navy Pier, Chicago, IL
📍 Navy Pier
💰 Lobster meal ~$50–$75; general admission free
👨👩👧 All ages, 21+ for drinks
✅ Includes: lobster, live bands, fireworks
📌 Fun fact: Happens during the Chicago Air & Water Show — watch jets fly over as you crack claws!
Wine & Art Walk — Lisle, IL
📍 Morton Arboretum
💰 ~$15–$25
🍷 21+ only
✅ Includes: wine stations throughout the gardens, local art
📌 Fun fact: The arboretum contains over 222,000 live plants!
🚚 August 17, 2025
Around the World Food Truck Festival — Lemont, IL
📍 Downtown Lemont
💰 Free admission
👨👩👧 All ages
✅ Includes: global cuisine trucks, beer garden
📌 Fun fact: Lemont’s downtown is built over a canal that once connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River.
Bloody Mary Fest — Highwood, IL
📍 Downtown Highwood
💰 ~$35–$45
🍷 21+ only
✅ Includes: bottomless Bloody Mary tastings, garnish competition
📌 Fun fact: There’s also a pet parade and best-dressed tomato contest.
🌽🍕 August 22–24, 2025
Corn Fest — DeKalb, IL
📍 Downtown DeKalb
💰 Free admission
👨👩👧 All ages
✅ Includes: corn boil, carnival rides, live bands
📌 Fun fact: Corn Fest began in 1977 and still serves free sweet corn!
Pizza City Fest — Chicago, IL
📍 Plumbers Union Hall
💰 ~$49–$89
🍕 All ages
✅ Includes: dozens of local pizzerias, panel talks, samples
📌 Fun fact: Chicagoans eat more thin crust than deep dish — gasp!
Taste of Greektown — Chicago, IL
📍 Halsted Street
💰 Free admission
👨👩👧 All ages
✅ Includes: Greek food, music, dancing
📌 Fun fact: Greek culture has been part of Chicago’s fabric since the 1890s.
FoodieLand Night Market — Portland, OR
📍 Portland Expo Center
💰 ~$6 entry; food priced per vendor
👨👩👧 All ages
✅ Includes: Asian street food, global fusion, games
📌 Fun fact: FoodieLand started in California and expanded thanks to viral TikTok eats.
🎡 August 23–24, 2025
West Chicago Food Festival — West Chicago, IL
📍 Downtown West Chicago
💰 Free admission
👨👩👧 All ages
✅ Includes: food vendors, cultural performances
📌 Fun fact: West Chicago was the first Illinois community created by the railroad.
Zoo Uncorked: Wine & Vines — Brookfield Zoo, IL
📍 Brookfield Zoo
💰 ~$65–$85
🍷 21+ only
✅ Includes: wine tastings throughout the zoo
📌 Fun fact: You can sip Syrah while watching giraffes.
Around the World Cultural Food Festival — Alexandria, VA
📍 Oronoco Bay Park
💰 Free admission
👨👩👧 All ages
✅ Includes: cultural showcases, ethnic food vendors
📌 Fun fact: Alexandria’s Old Town has more historic buildings than Boston!
Chicago Romanian Food & Folk Festival — Chicago, IL
📍 Avondale neighborhood
💰 Free admission
👨👩👧 All ages
✅ Includes: traditional Romanian dishes, dancing
📌 Fun fact: Try sarmale—Romanian cabbage rolls stuffed with pork and rice.
Lakeview Taco Fest — Chicago, IL
📍 Southport Ave
💰 ~$10 donation requested
👨👩👧 All ages
✅ Includes: gourmet tacos, margaritas, music
📌 Fun fact: One vendor always brings a lamb-and-mint taco that locals rave about.
Sangria Festival Chicago — Humboldt Park
📍 Humboldt Park Boathouse
💰 ~$45–$85
🍷 21+ only
✅ Includes: 15+ sangria vendors, salsa bands, art installations
📌 Fun fact: One of the most Instagrammable festivals in the Midwest!
🌟 August 24, 2025
Taste of Texas: Twirl & Sip — Hye, TX
📍 Texas Wine Collective
💰 ~$45–$60
🍷 21+ only
✅ Includes: line dancing, wine tastings, themed bites
📌 Fun fact: Hye once had a post office visited by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
🌎 August 28 – November 22, 2025
EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival — Orlando, FL
📍 Walt Disney World Resort
💰 Park admission + food purchases (~$150–$200 total/day)
👨👩👧 All ages; 21+ to drink
✅ Includes: dozens of international food pavilions, cooking demos, concerts
📌 Fun fact: Try wine tastings in Morocco, churros in Mexico, and poutine in Canada—all in one day.