Festival Season

 late summer is the time for festivals and street fairs. These are always fun to go to and see what's up and coming food wise.It's also a chance to sample fun food and drinks along with buying neat treats.

Street fairs and festivals are not necessarily booths selling cool jewelry, accessories and tees.new Jersey and especially New York City is always bustling with them. These are great places to try everything from crepes to different kinds of burritos and tacos. What's great about these get togethers is that you can try all sorts of food that you normally wouldn't It's a chance to sample different foods like chips on a sticks This is a whole potato spiralized  and then stuck on a bamboo stick. It;s deep fried to crispiness and different flavorings can be sprinkled on it.Of course festivals also have the usual hot dogs and hamburgers but some like the Ventnor New Jersey seafood Festival, held this weekend. This city directly south of Atlantic City is offering such delights as crab cakes and possibly shrimp cocktails. There will also be oysters for those who love the treats of the sea.There is also the Comfort Food Festival  in Tom's River ,New Jersey a little of the shore from Ventnor's Seafood one. This features. local businesses like the candy store Netty's that's famous for their homemade fudge and hand dipped candies.

Of course big cities are known for their September street fairs. Chicago still celebrates it's strong German heritage with an early  Octoberfest.It's a non alcoholic one at the Lincoln Park Zoo. but you can still get a cup of alcohol free beer along with brats and giant pretzels.Another non alcoholic beer fest is the city's Bavarian Block Party . There's music and bratwurst in the city's West Loop district. Naperville, Illinois hosts an Irish Festival complete with a whiskey tasting What about the West and East Coast? San Diego is hosting a  couple this weekend if you can get last minute tickets to them.One is RB Alive and it offers a wide array of food trucks, wine tasting and a beer garden. Further north in San Francisco, there is a dearth of great food fairs. Chocolate lovers can had to the San Francisco International CHocolate Salon to sample everything chocolate.There are even chocolate sculptures to admire  as you nibble on dark , milk vegan and white chocolate. Of course Manhattan hosts a wide range of food festivals and street fairs right now, There are fairs and harvest festivals right now in all the boroughs and you can sample everything from Italian to Caribbean treats throughout the month.

The weather around the country is perfect for festivals and fairs. Check out the ones in your area and enjoy.It's a great chance to sample fun food and buy cool stuff.

The Festival Circuit

August and September are the months for all sorts of food festivals and street fairs. This is the season to either take advantage of your culinary heritage or someone else's. Street fairs also proliferate during this time too. City streets will be awash with interesting stands that feature everything from crepes to satays.

Ethnic festivals are being held all over the country right now. German clubs are offering early Octoberfests or "Summerfests " where all sorts of great dishes are being served. Southern German groups are offering tasty dishes such as bratwurst and spaetzle while Northern based clubs feature smoked eel and potato pancakes.Italians have many saints festivals right now and this is a good time to visit them. Fresh made zeppolis and savory sausage sandwiches are the best that the stands can make along with old fashioned , thick pizza and fresh mussels and clams..Check local Greek churches too for their saint's days celebrations. Orthodox parishes put out great spreads that feature everything from lamb on a spit to souvlaki.

This is also the time of year for street festivals.Most major cities like New York, Boston and Chicago have them however smaller towns hold them swell.These also offer a wide range of ethnic treats from satays to crepes to dim sum.A caveat though .Most stands use the same oil or grease for frying all day long.The best bet is to eat anything fried in the early afternoon when the stands are first set up. Street fairs also offer the best of carnival foods like candy apples and cotton candy. Take advantage of these great treats while you can.

This is the season for festivals and street fairs. Foodies should indulge in what they have to offer. It's a fun way to connect with other cultures and discover cities.