Food Festivals and Events Where You Can Meet Your Favorite Food Network Chefs

From Atlanta to Hawaii, don't-miss food and wine festivals are firing up grills and popping corks. Plan to visit and satisfy your cravings for bites, sips and fun.

Don't miss the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival (NYCWFF), scheduled for Oct. 15-18, 2026. Now in its 19th year, it's set to take place in the historic Seaport neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, where visitors can enjoy waterfront seating from on high. This year's schedule includes over 300 chefs, mixologists and other culinary experts. Look for Food Network favorites, including Alex Guarnaschelli, Esther Choi, Triple Threat Titans Michael Voltaggio and Ayesha Nurdjaja, and more.

The festival benefits Event Zero Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes social responsibility and positive environmental practices, such as sustainability, for the James Beard Foundation and others in the events industry.

In Florida, the stars come out both day and night for the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF). This popular event will return for its 26th year, from Feb. 25-28, 2027, to venues across the Miami metropolitan area. Acclaimed chefs will be on hand for tastings, late-night parties, intimate dinners, brunches and more.

While the official schedule is being finalized, Food Network chefs, hosts and frequent guests have included Alex Guarnaschelli, Bobby Flay, Eric Adjepong, Kardea Brown, Maneet Chauhan, Guy Fieri and Mei Lin at past editions of the festival. You'll also hear from winemakers, spirit specialists and other culinary experts. The festival's net proceeds benefit the Florida International University Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management for student scholarships and educational programming.

Shown here: Food Network chef Maneet Chauhan and frequent guest, competitor and judge chef Nyeska Arrington.

In 2026, Food Network personalities chefs Jet Tila and Aarti Sequeria hosted SOBEWFF's Asian Night Market, a late-night, street-food event. Jet hosts Ready Jet Cook, and has been a regular on Food Network shows like Tournament of Champions and Guy's Grocery Games. Aarti was a season six winner on Food Network Star and hosts and judges various Food Network shows. The night market was a big draw that also included favorite Food Network chefs like Eric Adjepong, Damaris Phillips, brothers and business partners Michael Voltaggio and Bryan Voltaggio, and others who posed for photos and chatted with guests.

While the official 2027 SOBEWFF line-up is being finalized, past festivals hint at the Food Network talents and other culinary icons you might see. Popular Food Network chef Guy Fieri hosted live Tournament of Champions (TOC) events in 2025 and 2026. In 2026, TOC winners Brooke Williamson, Antonia Lofaso, Tiffani Faison, Mei Lin and Maneet Chauhan each captained a team of hand-picked chefs for TOC LIVE, with Team Antonia taking the win. Brooke, shown here in 2026, also co-hosted dinners in the exclusive New York Times Dinner Series.

Over 500 culinary expects are expected at SOBEWFF 2027, including Food Network stars and personalities, TikTok influencers, sommeliers, celebrities and others.

Can't decide between booking a luxurious sea cruise and attending a fabulous food festival? You can have both with Chefs Making Waves, a Food Network destination event. The next cruise features chef Bobby Flay and culinary personalities like Japanese chef Shota Nakajima and chefs Zac Young, Brooke Williamson, Michael Voltaggio and Jonathan Waxman. It's scheduled to sail from Miami, Florida to Montego Bay, Jamaica and George Town, Grand Cayman on Nov. 6-11,2026. Cruises are also set for April 20-24, 2027, from Miami to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and for Sept. 21-28, 2027, from Seattle to Juneau, Glacier Bay and Ketchikan, Alaska, and on to Victoria, B.C.

Chefs Making Waves attendees and culinary talents will sail in November 2026 on the Norwegian Joy, a vessel with 13 bars, 11 restaurants, a world-class spa, beach club and other many amenities. The menu will feature chef-curated cuisine, and port excursions with celebrity chefs, wine and spirit tastings, mixology demos, cooking demos, Q & A sessions with culinary experts and more will be available. As of this writing, the ship is full for the 2026 trip, but check out First Available Stateroom Releases to find booking options.

Shown here: Chefs Making Waves in 2025 with Food Network chefs Alex Guarnaschelli and Eric Adjepong.

Various cities host the Creole Food Festival on different dates. The fest celebrates African, Caribbean, European, Latin and South American and Southern American cuisine. Celebrity chef Tobias Dorzon, known for his appearances on Food Network shows like Tournament of Champions, Guy's Grocery Games, Chopped and Last Bite Hotel, was featured in April 2026 at the Washington, D.C. festival. Atlanta hosted the fest from August 8-9, 2026, and New York City welcomes the food and fun on Sept. 26, 2026. Check the website for details on upcoming events in Miami and the Hamptons. Past festivals have featured Food Network guests and competitors like chefs Kelvin Fernandez, Gregory Gourdet, Jouvens Jean, Thiago Silva and Gason Nelson.

Shown here: chef Janelle Pitterson, a competitor from Food Network's Chopped.

Fall traditionally brings cool, blue-sky weather to Atlanta, along with the annual Atlanta Food & Wine Festival (AFWF). The four-day fest runs from Sept. 10-13, 2026, and kicks off with The Atlanta Standard, which offers chef-created bites, craft cocktails, fine wines and live entertainment inside Tasting Tents presented by Goya Foods. Other don't-miss happenings include Flavors of Atlanta, The Southern Spread and The Homecoming.

Proceeds from the festival traditionally benefit nonprofit organizations and foundations. For 2026, it's partnering with Event Zero Inc., a non-profit that works to encourage positive environmental practices and social impact in the events industry.

Over 200 chefs are scheduled to appear at the 2026 Atlanta Food & Wine Festival. A new event, Stacked: The Burger Social, presented by Mike's Amazing, lets guests pair over-the-top burgers with wine, beer, spirits or cocktails. Southern Fried: A Fried Chicken Affair, is also new for 2026. Southern Fried is a walk-around experience that offers samples of classic chicken recipes, such as buttermilk-brined chicken and Nashville hot-style chicken, along with global variations. Food Network celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern, a fan favorite, is pictured here at the 2025 Atlanta Food & Wine Festival and will return to the fest this September along with Kardea Brown.

From Sept. 24-27, 2026, Chicago Gourmet will partner with master sommeliers, wine and spirit makers and chefs from around the U.S., including Food Network's frequent guest and judge Rick Bayless, along with Jeff Mauro, co-host of The Kitchen and a winner of Food Network Star Season 7. Billed as the city’s premier culinary event, Chicago Gourmet will take place on the Harris Theater Rooftop at Millennium Park. In keeping with the 2026 theme, “Let Your Tastebuds Dance,” festival-goers can see salsa and folklore performances, a live breakdancing contest and enjoy tacos and tequilas, a gourmet brunch, wines, spirits and a variety of global dishes. Live chef demos, a fan favorite, return in 2026. You’ll recognize Chicago native chef Stephanie Izard from her appearances on Food Network shows like Tournament of Champions, Guy’s Grocery Games, Chopped and more. You'll also see chef Sarah Grueneberg, who has appeared on Iron Chef Gauntlet, Beat Bobby Flay and other shows, along with chef Joe Flamm, featured on Tournament of Champions, Flavortown Food Fight and other programs. Sara and Joe are pictured here.

Chicago-based chefs Joe Flamm and Jeff Mauro, who is known as Food Network's Sandwich King, will preside over the festival’s Hamburger Hop on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026. This culinary showdown awards bragging rights for creating the best burger and offers cold beer, cocktails and wine to wash down the beefy bites between buns.

Chicago Gourmet proceeds benefit the Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps fund youth scholarships and career development programs. It also provides cash relief grants to hospitality workers in financial crises.

Food Network chef Tiffany Derry, seen here on Bobby's Triple Threat, is a co-founder of the Shef Food and Wine Festival. Curated by chef Tiffany, and now in its third year, the festival's core mission is to empower girls and women in the culinary field. (The name "Shef" is actually a play on two words, "chef" and "she," although it's open to all genders.)

The fest is scheduled to run from Oct. 8-11, 2026, and present internationally known chefs, winemakers and distillers. Watch the website for the line-up of talents and personalities who will appear. Past participants included Dawn Burrell, a contestant on Food Network's Chopped and Tournament of Champions, among other shows, and Food Network host, judge and chef Duff Goldman. The festival will be held at EpicCentral, a waterfront entertainment district in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Island-hop your way around the 16th annual Hawaii Food & Wine Festival. It runs from Oct. 16-17, 2026, on the island of Hawaii; from Oct. 23-25, 2026, in Kaanapali, Maui; and from Nov. 5-8, 2026, on Oahu. Meet Michelin-starred chefs, master mixologists, renowned winemakers and other culinary and spirit experts. The festival, a program of the nonprofit Hawaii Ag and Culinary Alliance, honors the state's heritage and helps promote agriculture, education and sustainability. It also supports culinary education and developing a strong workforce and aids hospitality and restaurant workers in need.

The 2026 line-up for the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival includes such Food Network chefs, guests and frequent hosts as Nyesha Arrington, Maneet Chauhan, Jonathan Waxman, Esther Choi, Shota Nakajima, Nini Nguyen and others. Hawaiian native Chef Philip "Ippy" Aiona, shown here, appeared at the 2025 festival; he was a finalist on season 8 of Food Network Star and competed on season 3 of Alex vs. America.

The Austin Wine and Food Festival will be held this year November 6-8 at Auditorium Shores. In 2025, it included acclaimed Italian chef Fabio Viviani, shown here, who often appears on Food Network and previously won Cutthroat Kitchen: Superstar Sabotage. Chef Tiffani Faison, a frequent judge and guest on Food Network's Chopped, Guy's Grocery Games and other shows also participated in 2025. The festival primarily benefits the Texas Food & Wine Alliance, a non-profit that provides grants and funding to the Central Texas culinary community.

Taste of Derby was held on April 30, 2026, headlined by Food Network celebrities and featuring Kentuckian chef Damaris Phillips, a Season 9 winner on Food Network Star. Damaris hosted the network's Southern at Heart from 2013 to 2018 and co-hosted The Bobby and Damaris Show, which aired for one season in 2017, with Bobby Flay. Chef Aaron May, a judge on Food Network's Guy’s Grocery Games, was also featured at Taste of Derby in 2026.

The next Taste of Derby is scheduled for April 29, 2027, which falls during Derby Week in Louisville, Kentucky. Attendees can look forward to Southern-comfort foods prepared by top national and local chefs; many foods will be paired with fine wines and bourbons. Visit Derby Experiences for official Kentucky Derby hospitality and ticket packages. Some include access to Taste of Derby.

There are several notable Asian American and Pacific Islander food and wine festivals held across the U.S. each year. Two of the most prominent take place in Oregon and New York. The Oregon AAPI Food & Wine Fest (AAPI FWF) was held in May 2026 in McMinnville, a historic city about 37 miles southwest of Portland. The AAPI food and wine festival in New York City occurred in March 2026. Dates, events and participants for 2027 haven't been announced yet, so watch the AAPI FWF website for updates.

The AAPI FWF is a 501(c)6 non-profit that serves to elevate Asian American and Pacific Islander voices and talents in the food and wine. It aims to connect chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and cultural leaders, promote diversity and build community.