Your Summer Food Festival Bucket List
14 summer food festivals to satisfy the eyes and the stomach.
All across the Ocean State, festivals are happening Memorial Day to Labor Day – Rhode Island’s unofficial summertime season. Whether you like barbecue, seafood or beer, you’ll find it here! Our bucket list can’t be beat. If you attend any of these events and take pictures, be sure to tag us on Instagram, @rimonthly!
1. Food Truck Fridays
All summer long, kick back and enjoy your favorite food trucks, brews, wine and live music at Roger Williams Park Zoo at Carousel Village. Train and carousel rides will be fun for the kids. Bring along a chair to sit on the lawn and take in the beautiful summer weather and relax after a long week. Admission is free, just pay the vendors!
Fridays, April 19-September 27, Roger Williams Park Carousel Village, Providence, free admission.
2. Newport Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival
Food Truck Festivals of America is heading to Fort Adams State Park for the Newport Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival! With offerings like Hometown Poke, Mike’s Clam Jam, Cape Cod Cannolis and the Bacon Truck, please remember that food and drink purchases are an additional cost to your $5 to $10 festival ticket. First responders and military will receive free entry with a valid ID, and the first 400 VIP guests to arrive get a free Vineyard Vines koozie. The cost of entry is $5 in advance and $10 at the door, but you can order various ticket packages online in advance, including the V.I.B. Package of three beer tickets, $1 off additional beers and a dessert for $40.
May 18, noon–5 p.m., Fort Adams State Park, Newport, $5-$40, purchase tickets here.
3. Hope Street Spring Block Party
The Hope Street Spring Block Party returns bigger and better than ever! With tons of live music, beer from Revival Brewing Company and Narragansett Beer, food trucks, henna, face painting, games for kids and a giant raw bar and lobster rolls from Matunuck Oyster Bar, there’s something here for every Rhode Islander!
June 1, noon–6 p.m., Hope Street, from 5th to Rochambeau, Providence, free.
4. Taste of Rhode Island
With food vendors and restaurants participating from around the state, this isn’t just an event for people who work in the industry. Sample bites and beverages, and if you’re feeling a little fancy, splurge on a VIP ticket, which gets you special seating, a glass of Champagne and hors d’oeuvres.
June 5, 6–9 p.m., Crowne Plaza, Warwick, $40-$95, purchase tickets here.
5. Untitled Beer Event
Part beer garden, part brew fest, part block party. Expect an afternoon of local craft and micro-breweries, food trucks and local food artisans, music and more in a laidback, outdoor pavilion-style atmosphere.
June 8, 3–6 p.m., Hope and Main, Warren, $25, purchase tickets here.
6. Bacon and Beer Fest
Beervana and RI Food Fights are teaming up for a third time to bring the third annual Bacon and Beer Fest to the public! Held this year at Cranston Print Works, twenty-five local restaurants will be showing off their favorite bacon-inspired dish, alongside pairings from twenty-five local breweries.
June 16, 2–5 p.m., Cranston Print Works, Cranston, $59, purchase tickets here.
7. Crave RI
Don’t miss some of the best food and drink southern New England has to offer at Crave RI. The event welcomes attendees of all ages to enjoy delicious bites from more than 100 local restaurants, samples from more than 150 beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverage products as well as a variety of live demonstrations from notable local chefs.
June 21, 5:30 p.m., Dunkin’ Donuts Center, Providence, $20, purchase tickets here.
8. Sommerfest
Sommerfest is back for its third year at the German American Cultural Society of Rhode Island in Pawtucket, and will feature an outdoor biergarten, authentic German music, dancers, food and beer all day long. It’s a great day of fun for the whole family!
June 22, noon–11 p.m., German American Cultural Society of RI, Pawtucket, free.
9. RI BBQ and Blues Festival
Nothing goes better with barbecue than the blues. Spend the weekend in India Point Park in East Providence with Slam Allen Band headlining on Saturday and Professor Harp headlining on Sunday. Several barbecue restaurants from around the state will be serving up their best ribs, wings and more. Make sure you bring your appetite!
June 22, 11 a.m.–7 p.m., June 23, 11 a.m.–5 p.m., India Point Park, East Providence, $10 for one day, $15 for two days, purchase tickets here.
10. Langworthy Farm Winery Olive and Cheese Festival
What goes better with a glass of wine than some olives and cheese? Merlot? Chardonnay? You decide! Sit back, relax and enjoy a selection of tasty bites paired with their many delicious wines for only $7.50 with the purchase of a glass of wine while you take in the beautiful scenery of Langworthy Farm in Westerly.
July 13-14, noon-5 p.m., Langworthy Farm Winery, Westerly, $7.50 with the purchase of a tasting or glass of wine.
11. Warren Quahog Festival
Summer is all about seafood and the Warren Quahog Festival is the place to get it. For almost forty years, this festival has been a staple of summer on the East Bay. Head to Burr’s Hill Park for delicious seafood, live music and fun crafts.
July 20-21, 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Burr’s Hill Park, Warren, free.
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At the #WarrenRI Quahog Festival. @discoverwarren #stuffies #clams #quahogs
12. Calamari Festival
The best way to wrap up the summer is to deny that it’s ending, so head down to the Towers in Narragansett for the fifth annual Calamari Festival. Listen to live music and taste calamari of all kinds from all around the Ocean State. It is the official state appetizer, after all!
September 7, 11 a.m.–5 p.m., The Towers, Narragansett, free
13. Rhode Island Seafood Festival
The best of the best will be available to taste at the Rhode Island Seafood Festival this year. From lobster to scallops to oysters and more, any seafood you can dream of will be yours to try while you listen to live music and relax by the water.
September 7, 11 a.m.–7 p.m., September 8, 11 a.m.–5 p.m., India Point Park, $5 one day, $8 two days, kids younger than twelve are free, purchase tickets here.
14. Newport Mansions Wine and Food Festival
The best way to close out the summer is to enjoy the best food, wine and views the state has to offer and you can get all of that at the Newport Mansions Food and Wine Festival. This one may be a little pricey but it’s worth every penny when you see the amazing, elegant bites paired with the tastiest wines. Ticket prices vary and there are several packages available for purchase, depending on how you want to spend the weekend – at an evening cocktail party or a leisurely morning brunch.
September 19-22, The Elms, Rosecliff and Marble House, Newport, click here for a full list of events and ticket prices.
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Chef rocked the NMWFF Outdoor Grill Stage… #bostonchefs #nmwff #newport #grillgod
