Food Festivals 2021
March
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(Mar. 19 – Apr 4)Restaurant Week
Chicago, ILTime to pack on the calories: More than 370 restaurants offer three-course prix-fixe menus for $25 at brunch or lunch and $39 or $55 at dinner.
May
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(May 15)Morel Mushroom Festival
Muscoda, WIThis town along the Wisconsin River calls itself the Morel Mushroom Capital of Wisconsin. There's a 3 p.m. parade and fireworks plus a flea market, arts fair and pedal-tractor pull.
June
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(Jun 3 – 6)Milk Days
Harvard, ILThe festival in this small town just south of Lake Geneva, Wis., is the longest running in the state. There are milk-drinking contests, milking demonstrations, cow-chip lotto, bed races and a parade Saturday.
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(Jun 4 – 6)Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival
Little Chute, WIThis Fox Cities festival includes cheese-curd eating, cheese-carving and cheesecake contests and a 10:30 a.m. Saturday cheese parade.
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(Jun 5)Rhubarb Festival
Lanesboro, MN
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(Jun 19)Wurst Festival
Amana, IABesides sausage sampling, there will be music, a dachshund derby, a beer-stein holding contest and hotdog games.
July
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(Jul 3 – 10)National Cherry Festival
Traverse City, MIThis town on Lake Michigan attracts half a million people to events that include air shows, an arts fair, music, races, the big Cherry Royale Parade and many contests, including pie-eating and pit-spitting.
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(Jul 22 – 25)Sweet Corn Days
Elkader, IAIn addition to free sweet corn, there will be Friday fireworks, a doughnut-hole eating contest, a kiddie tractor pull, carnival rides and a parade Saturday.
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(Jul 23 – 25)Pierogi Fest
Whiting, INThis suburb of Chicago exalts the plump Eastern European dumplings, filled with cheese, mashed potatoes or sauerkraut, with pierogi-eating and -tossing contests, a Mr. Pierogi songfest and a Polka Parade.
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(Jul 30)Blueberry Festival
Marquette, MIEat blueberry pizza and drink blueberry beer while listening to live music and watching dancers and medieval armored combat. There are also pony rides and games for kids.
August
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(Aug. 6)Pie Day
Braham, MNMinnesota's official Pie Capital near Cambridge holds pie-eating contests, a pie trivia contest and performances of the Pie-Alleuia Chorus.
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(Aug. 6 – 7)Brat Days
Sheboygan, WIThis town on Lake Michigan is sausage central. There's music, a carnival, beer and, of course, a brat-eating contest. The parade is Saturday.
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(Aug. 12 – 15)National Blueberry Festival
South Haven, MIEat until you're blue in the face during the festival in this Lake Michigan beach town. There's a pie-eating contest, riverfront concerts, an arts fair and a big parade on Saturday.
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(Aug. 12 – 15)Sweet Corn Festival
Mendota, ILThe festival in this town between Rochelle and La Salle features nearly 50 tons of free buttered corn, live music, a flea market, a carnival and a parade.
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(Aug. 19 – 22)Sweet Corn Festival
Sun Prairie, WIA Thursday-night parade kicks off this festival just north of Madison, and there's also a craft fair, car show, tractor pull, music, carnival rides and, on Saturday and Sunday, literally tons of steamed sweet corn.
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(Aug. 21)PastyFest
Calumet, MIThe humble miner's lunch — meat and rutabagas in a pocket of pie crust — has inspired this Keweenaw Peninsula festival, which includes such events as a PastyWalk, PastyPoetry contest and, of course, a PastyCook-Off.
Toivo the walking and talking pasty will appear, and there will be games, such as a PastyPull, Rutabaga Shotput, Onion Pass and Egg Toss. There's also a PastyParade.
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(Aug. 27 – 28)Potato Days
Barnesville, MNThis goofy central-Minnesota festival features mashed-potato wrestling, a golden potato hunt, potato car races, peeling and eating contests and a Saturday parade.
September
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(Sep. 4 – 5)Taste of Madison
Madison, WIThis free benefit festival on Capitol Square includes 200 menu items from more than 80 restaurants, all priced at $1-$4. There's also music on three stages.
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(Sep. 15 – 18)Pumpkin Festival
Morton, ILThis town near Peoria, home of the Libby's pumpkin-packing plant, calls itself the Pumpkin Capital of the World. The festival features pumpkin-boat races, pumpkin decorating, pie-eating contests, a craft fair, a pumpkin-pancake breakfast and a 10:30 a.m. Saturday parade.
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(Sep. 17 – 19)World Food & Music Festival
Des Moines, IAIn downtown's East Village, eat at more than 50 cultural cafes for $5 or less (or taste for $1), shop at the world marketplace or listen to musicians strolling the streets or on stage.
This year, the festival has been altered; check for events.
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(Sep. 17 – 19)Cheese Days
Monroe, WIThis festival is held every other year in the capital of cheese country, the home of Swiss Colony and the last Limburger factory. There's a cow-milking contest, yodeling, dancing, tours and a big parade Sunday.
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(Sep. 18 – 19)Bacon Bash
River Falls, WIThere will be pig races, a pig-calling contest, pig crafts, an amateur bacon cook-off and many bacon dishes, including ice cream.
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(Sep. 24 – 26)Apple Festival
Gays Mills, WIThere'll be arts and crafts and music in this southwest Wisconsin village. The big parade is Sunday.
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(Sep. 25)Taste of the Trail
Rushford/Houston, MNOn the Root River State Trail, sample local food, listen to music, tour a museum and visit the International Owl Center.
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(Sep. 25)Beef-A-Rama
Minocqua, WIIn this northern Wisconsin lake-resort town, there's a Rump Roast Run, beef-eating contest and Parade of Beef.
October
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(Oct. 2)Apple Affair
Galesville, WIIn the bluffs above Trempealeau, this festival features a 10-foot apple pie, a hunt for a Silver Apple, a race of floating wooden apples and a bicycle tour with a 20-mile route through apple orchards and hillier 35- and 60-mile routes.