Summer's tastiest food festivals

Once warm summer weather rolls in, destinations across the country celebrate the season with a variety of food festivals. Some honor a recent harvest, while others offer samplings of an area's diverse cuisines, or even just showcase one key ingredient. Wherever you vacation this summer, chances are there will be a food festival or two not far away. These are some of the best.

Taste of Chicago, June 30 through July 9

The 26th annual Taste of Chicago in Grant Park offers samplings of cuisine from more than 70 area restaurants. "Ribs, barbecue, pizza, and ethnic foods are now the main draw," says Veronica Resa of the Mayor's Office of Special Events. "The Food Network is coming this year, the first weekend, and doing a dessert contest where local chefs compete against each other. At our chef demo area, [visitors] can see different gourmet restaurant chefs showing their specialties. And the Third of July fireworks are always a true celebration of the entire event."

The festival opens daily from 11 a.m. through 9 p.m. "Lunchtime during the week is one of the best times to come," recommends Resa. "There's a big, but workable, crowd." Admission is free, with food and beverage tickets (required for all tastings) available in batches of 11 for $7.

The Taste of Chicago is also a music festival. This year, scheduled performers include the O'Jays, Glen Campbell, India.Arie, and Macy Gray, among others. Additionally, the Chicago Country Music Festival, part of the Taste of Chicago, will be held July 1 and 2.

Feast of San Gennaro, New York City, September 14 through 24

"If people want to come and get a taste of New York, literally, this is it," says Bob Liff, spokesman for Figli di San Gennaro, the organizing committee for the feast. This 11-day festival, the 79th annual, celebrates the patron saint of Naples with food, live music, parades, and contests throughout New York's Little Italy neighborhood. More than 300 street vendors sell authentic Italian dishes, specialty foods, and New York souvenirs.

"The signature dish is grilled sausage, and I always recommend hot as opposed to sweet," says Liff. "And cannoli—we have an annual cannoli-eating contest which is hysterical, an amazing thing to see. You'll see 300-pound guys stuffing their faces to see who can eat the most in six minutes. The record is in the low 20s. Try not to stand too close."

Major events this year include parades on September 16, 19 (the official feast day), and 23, and the cannoli-eating contest on September 15. Live music is performed nightly on the stage at the intersection of Grand and Baxter streets. Admission is free, but you will have to purchase whatever food and drink you wish to sample.

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