7 Food Fests Worth Traveling the World For
- Piece of Cake Staff
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Written by Awwal Ibrahim
What if there was an omelette the size of your car? As absurd as that sounds, it’s actually very possible. Every year, across the world, there are numerous festivals celebrating a single thing—food! These food fests are popular food celebrations that attract thousands of visitors each year. Some of these events date as far back as the 15th century, and the essence of these events goes beyond the food—it emphasizes the connection and culture preserved among people and the significant historical value they bring.
So, if you’ve ever wanted to visit a food fest, you’re curious about food fests, or you’re just a food lover like me, you should definitely check out these food festivals that are worth traveling for:
1. Pizzafest (Napoli Pizza Village)
I guarantee you’ll never find another place in the world with so much pizza! This annual event is arguably one of the best food fests in the world, with over a million visitors. It takes place in Naples, Italy. You get to taste pizza made by master pizzaiolos (professional pizza makers) from 50 esteemed pizzerias (restaurants or shops that sell pizza) around the world.
Additionally, there is the World Pizza Maker Championship (Trofeo Caputo), which attracts hundreds of professional pizzaiolos from around the globe to compete in various types of pizza-making. Other activities include workshops, masterclasses, children's activities, and cultural performances. It typically runs for several days, with the most recent one being a six-day event. It’s definitely a must-attend for pizza fans!
2. La Tomatina
I call this fest the tomato fight. Every year, in the city of Buñol, Spain, thousands of tomato fighters gather to hurl tomatoes at themselves for an hour. La Tomatina is considered to be the largest food fight in the world. Despite being the largest food fight in the world, the number of participants is limited to a bare 20,000 to prevent overcrowding. The first rule of the fight? The tomatoes must be squashed before being thrown to avoid injury.
La Tomatina originally started in the 1940s as a simple scuffle among young boys, which later went on to become one of the most celebrated food festivals of all time. Since the tomatoes are overripe and unfit for consumption, 150,000 kilograms of these tomatoes are transported to the fight each year! It's messy but absolutely thrilling.
3. Olney Pancake Race
Watching teen and adult women run with pancakes? Sure, count me in! The Olney Pancake Race is the oldest pancake-based race in history. This event is celebrated in the town of Olney, in Buckinghamshire, England, and it dates back to the 1400s, making it one of the oldest food celebrations in the world. How to participate in this food fest? Well, you have to be a female resident in Olney aged 18 or older in order to race.
The most famous story behind this pancake race suggests that the event started in 1445 when a housewife dashed to the church clutching a frying pan with a hot pancake in it after hearing the Shriving Bell, which is a bell rung calling people to confess their sins. She ran to the church, dressed in her apron and headscarf, still holding on to the frying pan with a pancake in it. The race has become an annual event ever since, celebrated in a little town in England.
4. Taste of Chicago
The Taste of Chicago is the largest food festival worldwide, attracting over a million visitors and tourists. In the early 2000s, the festival drew over 3.9 million visitors. The event’s atmosphere is like a giant picnic, which allows you to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Grant Park and the Chicago lakefront. You could visit the festival with your family and explore areas like Disney Resorts Family Village for games, and also visit the 112-foot Ferris wheel!
There’s also the ceremonial cutting of the 1000-pound Eli’s Cheesecake. Iconic foods you could expect to find include Chicago hot dogs and sausages, deep-dish pizzas, Italian sandwiches, and the ice cream, Original Rainbow Cones. This is absolutely a top bucket-list food festival to attend.
5. Melbourne Food and Wine Festival
Picture yourself strolling the bustling streets of Melbourne, with the aroma of street food and the fine scent of quality wine. The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is run by Food and Wine Victoria Ltd. It has taken place annually in Melbourne, Australia, since 1993 to promote Melbourne and Victoria’s food and wine culture.
The festival attracts food and wine experts from all over the world, including chefs, winemakers, wine commentators, critics, and authors. The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is known for its banquet-style lunches. You’ll find the world’s longest lunch there; it's definitely worth a visit.
6. Giant Omelette Celebration (Giant Omelette of Bessières)
Every Easter Monday, a giant omelette, enough to feed 2,000 people, is cooked in the town of Bessières, France. In this food festival, 15,000 eggs are cooked in a pan so big that it could fit the size of two cars parked side-by-side! The story behind this giant celebration is that the former Emperor of the French, Napoleon Bonaparte, visited an auberge (a French inn), and there, he was served an omelette, which he enjoyed so much that he ordered the innkeeper to make an omelette so large that it could feed his army.
This omelette festival can be found in six other places in the world: Provence, Belgium, New Caledonia, Canada, Argentina, and the USA. They are called the Brotherhood of the Giant Omelette. I’d totally love to visit this festival someday.
7. African Food and Drink Festival
This list would not be complete without the taste of African cuisines. Ever had the taste of pure spicy street food? This African festival is one of a kind. It features massive cookouts and challenges such as the Ata Spicy Sauce challenge, where challengers participate in eating foods that are extra-doused in hot sauce. The festival is very energetic and vibrant, bringing people from different backgrounds and communities. The festival has popular African dishes like Jollof rice, Efo Riro (spinach stew), pepper soup, Egusi soup, and Asun (smoked goat meat).
Aside from the fiery challenge, other activities include live music from popular artists, cultural dance performances such as the Eyo masquerade dance, and games like Ludo and PlayStation 5. You want to experience African energy? You should certainly reserve a spot in this food fest!
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Which of these festivals would you crash first?