California State Fair and Food Festival

The California State Fair and Food Festival runs for two weeks in July in Sacramento, CA, and hosts competitions for baking, olive oil, cheese, wine, and even cannabis.

A ticket add-on will let you see artists like Fitz and the Tantrums, Boyz II Men, Third Eye Blind, and Ashanti, and there are plenty of thrilling carnival rides, too.

Smorgasburg

The outdoor Smorgasburg market in New York City runs from April until October at The Oculus on Fridays, Marsha P. Johnson State Park on Saturdays, and Prospect Park on Sundays.

Each venue has up to 65 rotating vendors, including some of NYC's top restaurants and little-known eateries, serving everything from Thai and Chinese to Peruvian and soul food.

Try tacos from Birria LES, stuffed buns from C Bao, and burgers from Hen House, but the vendor list at Smorgaburg changes, so you can get something new every time you visit.

Maine Lobster Festival

Lobster is so beloved in Maine that it has an entire festival dedicated to its honor. The annual Maine Lobster Festival runs in August in Rockland, MA.

For five days, visitors can indulge in lobster dishes like dinner platters, mac & cheese, bisque, wraps, and plenty of warm, buttery lobster rolls.

Family-friendly festivities include competitive seafood cooking contests, a 5K walk/run, a parade, arts and crafts, live music, and the Little Lobster Diaper Derby.

Picklesburgh

Recipient of the title of the "best specialty food festival in America,” the 3-day Picklesburgh festival in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, will run from July 21 to July 23, 2023.

Try creations like Pickle-flavored Oreos, pickle beer, pickle ice cream, and chocolate-covered pickles, or enter the pickle juice drinking contest with a grand prize of $500.

Key Lime Festival

If there is one food that Key West, Florida, is known for, it's the key lime. It shouldn't be surprising that it hosts a yearly celebration known as the Key Lime Festival.

The festivities include a wide range of key lime-related activities, like a mini pie class, a pie-eating contest, a rum-tasting event, trivia, and a scavenger hunt.

Compete to be Miss Key Lime 2023, or it's free to watch or enter the Key Lime Pie Drop, where participants try to drop the dessert from a lighthouse without damaging it.

The Key Lime Festival comes to a fun conclusion by slicing up the world's largest key lime pie, with everyone in attendance served a piece.