Philadelphia Celebrates Its Region's World-Class Food And Drink With 34 Culinary Festivals In 2018

2018 Promises Amazing Food And Drink Events In And Beyond Philadelphia

  

The Mushroom Festival in Chester County’s Kennett Square (left) and Flavors of the Avenue on South Philly’s buzzing East Passyunk Avenue (right) are just two festivals visitors and locals can enjoy in 2018.

Credit: Photos by G. Widman (left) and C. Smyth (right) for VISIT PHILADELPHIA^®

                    

PHILADELPHIA – Dining out is one of the best ways to get to know a region, and Philadelphia delivers its culinary education in a delicious buffet. Foodies who hit the road (or railroad) to Philly are rewarded with farmers markets, insider food tours and tasting experiences such as food truck festivals, neighborhood food fests, cooking classes and all sorts of wine and beer celebrations.

Here’s a look at some of the region’s 2018 culinary happenings:

January:

• Each January and September, the ten-day Center City District Restaurant Week gives diners nearly endless opportunities to sample three courses at dozens of the city’s top eateries for just $35 for dinner and $20 for lunch, where available (tax, alcohol and gratuity not included). January 14-26; September dates to be announced. Center City, centercityphila.org

February:

• Diners can experience South Philly’s most sought-after dishes and settings at East Passyunk’s Restaurant Week. Three-course prix fixe lunches and dinners are available (tax, alcohol and gratuity not included) at more than 24 different restaurants, including Fond, Noord, Perla, Townsend and Will and the bargain price of $15-$35. February 26-March 9. East Passyunk, eastpassyunkrestaurantweek.com

March:

• A yearly sellout that Forbes Traveler called “One of The Top 10 Beer Festivals in America,” the 12^th annual Philly Craft Beer Festival temporarily installs more than 50 of the country’s best breweries in South Philly’s Navy Yard. March 3. 5100 S. Broad Street, phillycraftbeerfest.com

• More than 60 esteemed restaurants and bars, from a.kitchen to Zavino, participate in the eight-day, 200-plus-event Philly Wine Week, a draw for both oenophiles and vino neophytes featuring tastings, pairings, specials and more—all educational, naturally. March 22-29.phillywineweek.org

April:

• South Philly’s buzzing East Passyunk Avenue celebrates its culinary spirit in Flavors of the Avenue. More than two dozen of the neighborhood’s most popular restaurants and bars gather to dish out their goods, while bands, a fashion show and a craft market entertain outside. April 29. Avenue between Dickinson & Morris Streets, (215) 336-1455, visiteastpassyunk.com
• Fair Food and Kitchen Table Consultants launched Philly Farm and Food Fest as a way to connect growers and eaters in the region—and to promote healthy eating. The resulting event, held in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, brims with local deliciousness, dedicating areas of the floor to cheese, drinks, CSAs, cooking demos, cookbooks and more. Dates to be announced. 1101 Arch Street, phillyfarmfest.org

May:

• Philadelphia magazine sponsors and Lincoln Financial Field’s SCA Club hosts the annual Philadelphia magazine’s Wine Festival. The event gathers more than 650 hard-to-find vintages and rare blends, paired with fare from some of the city’s most prestigious restaurants. May 3. 1020 Pattison Avenue, phillymag.com
• May through October,this street festival unites Philly’s top mobile food purveyors with its most enthusiastic eaters. Night Market Philadelphia highlights a different neighborhood during each event (typically four per year), with live music and entertainment. Locations and dates to be announced. thefoodtrust.org

• Brauhaus Schmitz and the South Street Headhouse District close South Street to car traffic from Headhouse Square to 8^th Street to create the annual springtime street fair, Maifest. Some 15,000 revelers sample German beers and shop from street vendors, and German dancers perform the traditional Maypole dance. May 5. (267) 909-8814, brauhausschmitz.com
• Everyone’s Italian when the nation’s oldest outdoor market throws the annual South 9^th Street Italian Market Festival. 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. May 19-20. 9^th Street & Washington Avenue, (215) 278-2903, italianmarketphilly.org
• Berry fans sample pies, tarts, shortcake, jams and preserves at Peddler’s Village annual Strawberry Festival. Strawberries of all sorts, live entertainment and pie-eating contests are some of the festivities at this free annual Bucks County event. May 19-20. Routes 202 & 263, Lahaska, (215) 794-4000, peddlersvillage.com

June:

• The aromas of African, Caribbean and soul foods fill the air at Odunde, 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. June 10. Grays Ferry Avenue & South Street, (215) 732-8510, odundefestival.org
• A highlight of Philadelphia’s 10-day Wawa Welcome America! July 4 festival, Wawa Hoagie Day offers the hungry lunch-goers slices of a block-long, six-ton sandwich on Independence Mall. June 28.  Independence Visitor Center, 6^th & Market Streets, welcomeamerica.com
• Comprised of an Irish, African, Caribbean, Mexican and more cultural celebrations, the PECO Energy Multicultural Festival, asummertime Penn’s Landing tradition, honors global music, dancing, crafts, pride—and food. Dates to be announced. 121 N. Columbus Boulevard, (215) 922-2FUN, delawareriverwaterfront.com
• Linvilla Orchards, a 300-acre Delaware County farm dedicated to agriculture, entertainment and education celebrates strawberries and raspberries (June), blueberries, sweet corn and blackberries (July), peaches, tomatoes and pears (August), apples (September) and pumpkins (October). These festivals include pick-your-own activities, family games, hayrides, music and plenty of treats—read: pies—to sample. 137 W. Knowlton Road, Media, (610) 876-7116, linvilla.com

July:

• Live country and bluegrass music and berries combine for a weekend-long midsummer celebration at Peddler’s Village’s Bluegrass and Blueberries Festival in lovely Bucks County. July 14-15. Routes 202 & 263, Lahaska, (215) 794-4000, peddlersvillage.com
• Over 30 eclectic neighborhood restaurants take part in University City Dining Days, a three-course, three-price dinner promo featuring $15, $25 or $35 meals (not including tax, alcohol or gratuity).Dates to be announced. University City, universitycity.org/diningdays

August:

• Fairmount Park starts to resemble the islands during the Philadelphia Jerk Fest. Tickets to this one-day summer festival include Caribbean food, live reggae music, vendors and children’s activities. Dates to be announced. philadelphiajerkfest.com

September:

• The Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild presents the three-day Philadelphia Honey Festival that attracts thousands of participants to multiple venues, including Bartram’s Garden, 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. September 7-9.phillyhoneyfest.com
• More than 100,000 fungus fans participate the Mushroom Festival in Chester County’s Kennett Square, the nation’s mushroom-growing capital. The 33^rd-such weekend features tastings, cooking demos, cook-offs, farm tours, a 5K, nighttime parade and wine-and-soup mini-fest—all ’shroom-centric. September 8-9. S. Union Street & W. State Street, (610) 925-3373, mushroomfestival.org

• Center City District Restaurant Week reprisesthe January event with three courses at dozens of the city’s top eateries cost just $35 for dinner and $20 for lunch, where available (tax, alcohol and gratuity not included). Dates to be announced. Center City, centercityphila.org

• The Cheesesteak & Food Fest at Citizen’s Bank Park gives attendees chances to sample the wares of over 40 cheesesteak and Philly food vendors, hang out in a beer garden and the Phillies’ dugout, walk the bases and watch a cheesesteak-eating competition. Dates to be announced. One Citizens Bank Way, cheesesteakfest.com
• The Fringe Festival always begins with FEASTIVAL, an elegant and popular live arts-culinary arts combination of food, cocktails and performance. Date to be announced. phillyfeastival.com
• Manayunk’s Restaurant Week always begin with the Spring STREAT Food Festival, where vendors and food trucks join Main Street’s lineup of restaurants for an all-day eat fest. During the neighborhood’s ensuing Restaurant Week, brick-and-mortar eateries offer multicourse prix fixe menus for $15, $25 and $35. Dates to be announced.  Main Street, Manayunk, manayunk.com
• The alfresco South Philly bash known as Sausage Fest teams up neighborhood restaurants and local breweries to dish out sausage-inspired eats (including veggie options), while kids’ activities, craft vendors and a lineup of local music keeps the atmosphere fun and festive. Dates to be announced. W. Passyunk Avenue, between Broad & S. 15^th Streets, southphillysausagefest.com

October:

• Bloktoberfest, West South Street’sall-ages, all-afternoon autumnal festival, is a celebration of beer, food and music. Gourmet trucks set up shop, national craft brewers pour their wares, local bands play tunes, and festivalgoers take it easy on hay bales that stretch along four blocks. Date to be announced. (215) 732-8446, bloktoberfestphilly.com
• Fair Food, an organization that promotes local, sustainable eating, has as its marquee fundraiser the Brewer’s Plate, a beer-pairing dinner featuring the output of the most celebrated breweries and restaurants within 150 miles of Philadelphia. More than 1,000 guests head to the Kimmel Center for the epic meal. Date to be announced. 300 S. Broad Street, brewersplate.com
• With a focus on ciders and other fermented fruit beverages, Pour the Core Philly sets the stage for autumnal drinking at the Navy Yard. Participants sample local, national and international brews, learn all about the fermentation process, listen to live music and enjoy delicious food truck snacks. Dates to be announced. 4747 S. Broad Street, pourthecore.com
• The onetime beer-brewingest city in the Western Hemisphere does Oktoberfest right with German volkfests and pop-up beer fests throughout the fall. South Street’s Brauhaus Schmitz’s German block party features 2,000 pounds of sausage—and just as much oompah music. The Philadelphia Zoo’s OktoBEARfest serves unlimited samples of seasonal fall brews and ciders. Uptown Beer Garden serves local and imported lager and German fare at their two-day event. Fishtown’s Frankford Hall hosts a night full of Bavarian beer, German food and live music and the historic 23^rd Street Armory turns into a traditional biergarten for a weekend. All dates to be announced. Brauhaus Schmitz, 718 South Street, (267) 909-8814, brauhausschmitz.com; Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 W. Girard Avenue, (215) 243-1100, philadelphiazoo.org; Uptown Beer Garden, 1735 JFK Boulevard, facebook.com/UptownBeerGarden/; Frankford Hall, 1210 Frankford Avenue, (215) 634-3338, frankfordhall.com; 23^rd Street Armory, 22 S. 23^rd Street, (215) 564-1488, 23rdstreetarmory.com

November:

• Apple lovers get their fill at Peddler’s Village annual Apple Festival. The two-day festival features apple butter, cider, dumplings and fritters, as well as a juried craft show, live entertainment and pie-eating contests. November 3-4. Routes 202 & 263, Lahaska, (215) 794-4000, peddlersvillage.com
• The Bucks County Wine Trail’s Nouveau Release Weekend gives wine drinkers a sneak preview of the year’s freshest wines. The trail’s Holiday Celebration highlights the wines in an environment filled with holiday cheer. Nouveau release, date to be announced; Holiday Celebration, date to be announced. buckscountywinetrail.com
• The Great Harvest Cider and Beer Festival outsideHawthornes Biercafé has 75 hard ciders, toasty lagers, pumpkin ales, barrel-aged rarities, wine, cafe fare, Undrgrnd Donuts, live music and a kids’ zone. Date to be announced. 738 S. 11^th Street, (215) 627-3012, hawthornecafe.com

December:

• The NYC-based Coffee and Tea Festival brings its hipbuzz to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center with exhibitors, experts, tastings, gift bags and more. Dates to be announced. 100 Station Avenue, Phoenixville, coffeeandteafestival.com
• The auditorium of the Gershman Y invites hundreds to partake in the 16^th annual Latkepalooza: a celebration of the potato pancake, as created by 10 esteemed Philly restaurants. Date to be announced. 401 S. Broad Street, (215) 545-4400, gershmany.org

VISIT PHILADELPHIA^® is our name and our mission. As the region’s official tourism marketing agency, we build Greater Philadelphia’s image, drive visitation and boost the economy.

On Greater Philadelphia’s official visitor website and blog, visitphilly.com and uwishunu.com, visitors can explore things to do, upcoming events, themed itineraries and hotel packages. Compelling photography and videos, interactive maps and detailed visitor information make the sites effective trip-planning tools. Along with Visit Philly social media channels, the online platforms communicate directly with consumers. Travelers can also call and stop into the Independence Visitor Center for additional information and tickets.

WalletHub's 2016’s Best Cities To Celebrate Oktoberfest

Octoberfest Celebration In Philadelphia (VisitPhilly)

With German-Americans constituting the largest U.S. ethnic group and the world’s largest beer festival and traveling fun fair — known as Oktoberfest — soon to kick off, the personal-finance website WalletHub took a close look at 2016's Best Cities to Celebrate Oktoberfest along with fun and interesting facts about the event in its Oktoberfest By The Numbers infographic.

To determine the best cities for partaking in the epic German festival, WalletHub’s number crunchers compared the 100 largest cities across 20 key metrics, ranging from “percentage of German population” to “number of beer gardens per capita” to “average price for Oktoberfest festivals and parties ticket.”

Below are some highlights from each report.
 

	Top 20 Cities for Celebrating Oktoberfest
	1	Cincinnati, OH		11	Scottsdale, AZ
	2	Pittsburgh, PA		12	St. Louis, MO
	3	Portland, OR		13	Columbus, OH
	4	Minneapolis, MN		14	St. Paul, MN
	5	Orlando, FL		15	Buffalo, NY
	6	Denver, CO		16	Colorado Springs, CO
	7	Tampa, FL		17	Milwaukee, WI
	8	Miami, FL		18	Cleveland, OH
	9	Madison, WI		19	Philadelphia, PA
	10	Boise, ID		20	New Orleans, LA

 
Oktoberfest Fun Facts:

• $5,000 – Estimated cost for an American to attend Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany
   
• 1.9 Million – Gallons of beer consumed during Oktoberfest 
   
• 750,000 – Number of sausages and whole roast chickens that are eaten
   
• $1.2 Billion – Oktoberfest’s annual economic impact on Munich

The Best New Beer Gardens To Visit Summer 2016

Rob Cardillo

New open-air beer gardens are popping up all over the country. We’ve rounded up the best openings to check out.

This story originally appeared on foodandwine.com

PHS Garden at the Viaduct Rail Park, Philadelphia, PA

The Pennsylvania Horticulture Society has been revitalizing vacant city spaces since 2011 and has now turned a defunct overhead railway into a pop-up beer garden. Victory Brewing Company has crafted a special beer for the PHS beer gardens—an American wheat ale with Orange Blossom Honey—and Top Chef alum Jason Cichonski and Chef Sylva Senat oversee the food menu. Offerings include the Bun Box, an assortment of steamed buns with a variety of seasonal ingredients. Viaduct Rail Park, 10th and Hamilton St.

Springfield BID White Lion Wednesdays, Springfield, MA

The Springfield Business Improvement District has partnered with White Lion Brewery to pop up beer gardens in a rotating set of downtown locations. Each Wednesday features White Lion beer, food and live music. One Financial Plaza; Tower Square Park; Market Street by Market Place.

Steeplechase Beer Garden, Brooklyn, NY

James Quigley

Taking inspiration from the former Steeplechase Amusement Park that stood in the same spot for over 65 years, this beer garden features funhouse mirrors, an arcade, outdoor games and live shows. Local beers such as Coney Island Brewery, which is right next-door, are the focus of the taps. Come harvest time, they’ll brew their own beer with the hops growing on the garden’s trellises. 1904 Surf Avenue.

The Bachelor Farmer, Minneapolis, MN

Kurt Stafki

This new Nordic restaurant has opened its backyard space for a series of beer garden events throughout the summer, each partnering with a different local brewery. Collaborators include Fulton Brewery, Able Seedhouse and Brewery, and Pyres Brewery. And on the first Saturday of August, do not miss their annual Kräftskiva festival, a Scandinavian crawfish block party. 50 2nd Ave N.

Conservatory, Houston, TX

William Hardin

To get out of the sun without sacrificing outdoorsy vibe, head to Conservatory, an underground food hall and beer garden. There’s a wall of plants and design cues that take inspiration from greenhouses. The 60-tap selection includes local favorites like Texian Vaquero and Buffalo Bayou 1836, and food comes from all over Houston dining scene, including Texas barbeque from El Burro & The Bull. 1010 Prairie St.

Sipyard, Urbana, IL

Adjacency

This Kickstarter-funded beer garden was built from old shipping containers and sharing space with an outdoor graffiti gallery. The taps focus on Illinois beers, including those from Triptych Brewery, which was similarly funded through a Kickstarter campaign. 204 W Main St.

New Belgium Brewery Beer Garden, Fort Collins, CO

Courtesy of New Belgium Brewing

This 100% employee-owned brewery has expanded its Fort Collins tasting room after converting an old parking lot into a grassy picnic area, complete with fire pits, Belgian shuffleboard and a rotating host of food trucks. A retired airstream trailer, Abbey the Beerstream, has become a four tap pouring station. 500 Linden St.

Lagunitas Beer Garden at Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco, CA

SF’s Ghirardelli Square just got a beer garden, courtesy Sonoma-based Lagunitas Brewing Company. Half the proceeds from the garden will be donated to local organizations like SOMA Arts and the San Francisco Parks Alliance. 900 N Point St.

5 Breweries That Actually Want You To Stay The Night

Facebook / Woodstock Inn & Station

Ale trails and beer passport programs combine two things we love: travel and frosty, cold pints. But, there are only so many breweries you can (or should) visit in a day.

So, where do you overnight on a beer-inspired adventure? A brewery, of course! More and more breweries now offer onsite accommodations, some with perks including tours and samplers. The next time you’re ready for a beer-cation, check into one of these brewery-owned inns and hotels.

Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery (North Woodstock, NH): Located near Dartmouth College, the Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery has 40 guestrooms spread throughout six buildings with several rooms situated over the combined restaurant and brewery. Beer lovers can join the daily brewery tour ($9 per person for a tour, a tasting, and a keepsake pint glass) or book a Brewer’s Weekend package (from $271 per person), which includes a two-night stay, a multi-course beer-pairing dinner on Saturday, and a crash course in the beer-making process.

Norwich Inn

Norwich Inn (Norwich, VT): President James Monroe dined at the Norwich Inn in 1817. Although there’s no historical record of whether Monroe enjoyed a beer with his meal, we like to think he did. Today, the charming 39-room inn houses an award-winning brewery, Jasper Murdock Alehouse, in its historic livery. Watch for beer-themed events and packages, such as the Bake & Beer Weekday Experience in July, which features beer tastings and beer baking classes with King Arthur Flour (from $279.50 per person).

McMenamins Kennedy School/Flickr/Curtis Cronn

McMenamins Kennedy School (Portland, OR): Brothers Mike and Brian McMenamin started with one humble pub in 1974. Today, their empire includes breweries, restaurants, historic hotels, music venues, movie theaters, and more. (They even have a McMenamins Passport for their properties.) While McMenamins Edgefield has more than 100 guestrooms, plus a brewery, a distillery, and a winery, we prefer the 57-room McMenamins Kennedy School, where you can sip beer from the onsite brewery in class and smoke a cigar in detention. Your best bet for a beer-cation is the Beer 101 package, which includes lodging for two, two brewery taster trays, and a growler filled with your choice of McMenamins ales (from $190 per night).

Brewhouse Inn

Brewhouse Inn & Suites (Milwaukee, WI): Although Brewhouse Inn & Suites doesn’t have an onsite brewery, it used to be one. The 90-room inn occupies what was once the Pabst Blue Ribbon Factory, and you’ll see evidence of its past throughout the building, including the tops of the copper brew kettles in the common areas and original signage and artwork. There’s also a restored stained-glass window depicting the patron saint of beer in the lobby and a front desk constructed out of 1,500 beer bottles from local breweries. Next door, the former mill is now Jackson’s Blue Ribbon Pub, where you can, naturally, order PBR on tap.

Fredericksburg Brewing Company/Flickr/Carlos Macasaet

Fredericksburg Brewing Company (Fredericksburg, TX): Not only is Fredericksburg Brewing Company the oldest brewpub in Texas, it often ranks among the state’s best. The ground floor of the restored 1890s building on Main Street comprises the brewery, a restaurant, and an air-conditioned biergarten; the second floor is reserved for the brewery’s 12-guestroom Bed & Brew. As part of the stay, each guest receives a sampler of four beers every booked night (from $99).

by Teresa Bitler- See more at: http://blog.shermanstravel.com/2016/how-to-spend-the-night-in-a-brewery/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Escapes%20Newsletter:%2004.02.16&utm_term=National:%20Bulletin%20/%20Trip%20Ideas%20/%20ROS#sthash.ZBMI7mYW.dpuf