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, scheduled for October 15 to 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 more than 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 February 25 to 28, 2027, at 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 & Tourism Management for student scholarships and educational programming.

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

In 2026, Food Network personalities and chefs Jet Tila and Aarti Sequeiri 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 6 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 and Bryan Voltaggio, and others, who posed for photos and chatted with guests.

While the official 2027 SOBEWFF lineup 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 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 experts 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 November 6 to 11,2026. Cruises are also set for April 20 to 24, 2027, from Miami to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, and for September 21 to 28, 2027, from Seattle to Juneau, Glacier Bay, and Ketchikan, Alaska, and on to Victoria, BC.

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, a beach club and many other 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. 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 Eric Adjepong and Alex Guarnaschelli.

From September 24 to 27, 2026, Chicago Gourmet will partner with master sommeliers, wine and spirits makers, and chefs from around the US, including Food Network's frequent guest and judge Rick Bayless, along with Jeff Mauro, co-host of The Kitchen and the 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,” festivalgoers 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. Sarah 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, September 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 + 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 October 8 to 11, 2026, and will present internationally known chefs, winemakers and distillers. Watch the website for the lineup 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 October 16 to 17, 2026, on the island of Hawaii; from October 23 to 25, 2026, in Kaanapali, Maui; and from November 5 to 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 the development of a strong workforce and aids hospitality and restaurant workers in need.

The 2026 lineup 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 & Food Festival will be held this year from November 6 to 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 nonprofit that provides grants and funding to the Central Texas culinary community.

You need not try out for Chopped, earn your way into Tournament of Champions, or rally your crew for The Great Food Truck Race to share quality time — and seriously quality cuisine — with the likes of Maneet Chauhan, Nancy Silverton, Andrew Zimmern and Tyler Florence. You can learn from all of these culinary pros plus dozens more at the third annual Food & Wine Classic in Charleston November 13 to 15, 2026.

Local lowcountry fare will be in the spotlight at special events like Food & Wine’s Pearls of the Coast oyster roast, Travel + Leisure’s Sea to Table crabbing outing and Southern Living’s Lowcountry Tailgate. But the Classic certainly offers a taste of other all-American recipes — and plenty of global flavors, too. The four-day fest is spiked with more than 40 chef demonstrations from industry experts like burger historian George Motz, pizza pro Dan Richer and Mexican-American chef Rick Martinez. After class, feast your way through at least one of the four grand tastings, where you can savor samples from more than 100 winemakers, distillers, chefs and more.

Karla Walsh contributed copy to this story for the Food & Wine Classic in Charleston.

Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival (PBFWF) returns for its 19th year from Thursday, December 10 through Sunday, December 13, 2026, with a bevy of new programming, including Maneet Chauhan's Bollywood Experience with chef Pushkar Marathe at Pushkar's restaurant, Ela Curry & Cocktails; a master cooking class with chef Mauro Colagreco; a two-day pop-up brunch with NOLA-based Brennan’s at Pistache; plus get your dancing shoes ready for Disco Brunch at Arthur & Sons' with notable South Florida chefs Giorgio Rapicavoli (who Chopped Ultimate Champions competitor) and Michael Schwartz. The weather is perfect and, of course, so is the food.

The 2026 festival will mark PBFWF's fourth year donating a portion of proceeds to benefit the Els for Autism Foundation, a non-profit organization serving individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families around the world.

Escape the winter cold at Visit Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival, which stretches across 24 miles of stunning beaches and vibrant downtown communities, is back for its 8th annual year from Monday, January 18 through Sunday, 24, 2027. You can expect beachfront wine tastings, gourmet dinners and tastings from your Food Network favorites, including Marcus Samuelsson, who headlines The Grand Tasting oceanside event with with Eddie Jackson, Retro Recipes' Bobby Hicks and Chopped Castaways competitor Hannah Flora. If you're in the mood for smoky meats, head to BBQ at the Beach hosted by Food Network Star, Holiday Baking Championship and Beat Bobby Flay winner Jason Smith. If brunch is more your thing, Nancy Fuller will host Beachside Brunch. New to the festival this year is The Feast, an Italian-inspired celebration hosted by Rino Cerbone, the first-ever recipient of a Bib Gourmand in Fort Lauderdale.

"Today, we're proud to welcome nationally recognized chefs while continuing to celebrate the restaurants, chefs and hospitality professionals that have helped make this festival what it is," says co-founder Kate Reed. "As we continue to grow, our commitment remains the same: creating unforgettable culinary experiences, supporting our local hospitality community and giving back to Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital."

Jessica Yonker contributed copy to this story for Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival and Visit Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival.

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 US 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) nonprofit 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 while promoting diversity and building community.

Tucked away in the “pinky finger” area of the Michigan mitten overlooking Lake Michigan, small but mighty Traverse City (population 15,850) is one of the country’s fastest-growing food scenes. You can feast your way through this up-and-coming culinary destination and wine region before (even more) word gets out at the second annual Traverse City Food & Wine (TCF&W).

Attend the Grand Tasting to sample sips from the region’s 40 wineries and 18 breweries, or score a ticket for one of the educational cooking demos, author talks or collaborative lunches or dinners. Keep your eye out for Food Network stars Aarti Sequeira and Andrew Zimmern, who join author Ruth Reichl, podcast host Matt Rodbard and an array of James Beard Award nominees and winners as part of the lineup. By attending, you’ll be giving back with every bite. TCF&W helps fund scholarships at the nearby Great Lakes Culinary Institute. The 2026 event occurred from August 19 to 23.

Karla Walsh contributed copy to this story for the Traverse City Food & Wine festival.

Various cities host the Creole Food Festival on different dates. The fest celebrates African, Caribbean, European, Latin American and South 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, DC, festival. Atlanta hosted the fest from August 8 to 9, 2026, and New York City welcomes the food and fun on September 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. The four-day fest ran from September 10 to 13, 2026, and kicked off with The Atlanta Standard, which offered chef-created bites, craft cocktails, fine wines and live entertainment inside Tasting Tents presented by Goya Foods. Other don't-miss happenings included Flavors of Atlanta, The Southern Spread and The Homecoming.

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