thePULSEServing Up Summer Festivals
By Leeanne Griffin
Summer in New England is Heaven on Earth. After long winters, people love to shed their layers, get outside in the warm weather and fire up the grill. So why not celebrate the tastes of summer at a food festival?! From Maine to Rhode Island, festivals across the region offer full-scale celebrations of chowder, barbecue, chili, lobster and beer ~ something for everybody. With the countless offerings, you could spend almost every weekend at a different event. So go ahead ~ work up an appetite and then choose your festival!
Rock n’ Ribfest: NH State BBQ Championship, June 9-11
221 Daniel Webster Highway, Anheuser-Busch Facility, Merrimack, NH
Come see the Northeast’s “Best Grillers and Barbecuers” in action. Also: Music, entertainment, kids’ activities and hot-air balloon rides.
www.rotaryribfest.org/
Boston Harborfest 2006, July 2
Annual Chowderfest, Boston City Hall Plaza
The nationally-recognized Chowderfest celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, ladling out more than 2,000 gallons of chowder to festival goers. Also: Musical performances, jugglers and other entertainers.
www.bostonharborfest.com/main/chowderfest.html
Harpoon Championship of New England Barbecue, July 22-23
Harpoon Brewery, 336 Ruth Carney Drive, Windsor, VT
40 BBQ teams from all over will be competing for prize money & trophies. Also: Harpoon beer, live music and brewery tours.
www.harpoonbrewery.com/events/nebbq/index.htm
4th Annual Chili Festival, July 29
Wachusett Mountain, Princeton, MA
Pros and local restaurants gather to dish up their best and hottest chili recipes. Also: Live music, hot pepper and chili-dog eating contests.
www.wachusett.com/summer_and_fall_events/Chilifest/
59th Annual Maine Lobster Festival, Aug. 2-6
Rockland, ME
Delicious ME lobster and a surplus of fresh seafood are the biggest attractions at this festival, but visitors also enjoy a cooking contest, performances by national headliners, and the coronation of the “Maine Sea Goddess.”
www.mainelobsterfestival.com/
96th Fisherman’s Feast of the Madonna Del Soccorso di Sciacca North End Festival, Aug. 17-20
North, Lewis & Fleet Streets, Boston
Boston’s oldest continuous Italian Festival celebrates its 96th year. Events include Flight of the Angel, the traditional procession of The Madonna through the streets, live entertainment and food.
CT River Brewfest, Sept. 8-10
Holyoke Canoe Club, 108 Cabot St., Holyoke, MA
Showcasing beers from more than 30 local breweries. Call (413) 535-1588 for more info.
www.ctriverbrewfest.com
Rib-n-Brews Festival, Sept. 8-10
Lowell, MA
A celebration of beer, music, and food featuring brews from area microbreweries, a BBQ contest and a “Microbrew Challenge” with over 30 samplers.
www.lowellma.gov/eventitems/2005-ribn-brews
Eastern States Exposition: “The Big E,” Sept. 15-Oct. 1
West Springfield, MA
The largest fair in the Northeast. National headlining acts, Mardi Gras parade, midway rides and games, arts and crafts and world-famous cream puffs. Sample the tastes of New England on the “Avenue of States:” MA cranberries, RI clam cakes, MM lobster rolls and VT maple syrup and cheddar cheese.
www.thebige.com/
Phantom Gourmet Food Festival, Sept. 23
Landsdowne Street, Boston, MA
The festival’s tagline says it all: “The Greatest Menu Ever Assembled: Seriously!” Each of over 30 companies will serve up one of their special, signature items. Selected nightspots will also host “parties within the party,” first-come, first-serve, 21+ plus events.
www.phantomgourmetfoodfestival.com/
Taste of Rhode Island, Sept. 23-24
Newport Yachting Center, Newport, RI
Forty of RI’s best restaurants and caterers will sell appetizer-sized portions of their finest cuisine. Also: culinary demonstrations, live music and entertainment, a marketplace tent and kids’ activities.
www.newportfestivals.com/Taste_of_RI/
Bourne Scallop Festival, Sept. 24-26
Buzzards Bay, MA
Cape Cod’s “largest festival underneath the big top,” with 40,000 visitors yearly. Food court featuring breaded scallops, grilled chicken, clam chowder and a variety of other fun festival foods. Arts and crafts show and Home Expo, midway games and rides.
www.capecodcanalchamber.org/aboutsf.html
A Prepared Festival-Goer is a Happy Festival-Goer
Diet, schmiet. No one goes to a food festival to count calories, so don’t be “that person.” Come hungry, indulge and have fun. In the wise words of Homer Simpson, “You don’t win friends with salad.”
Dress for function, not fashion. Wear your “eating pants.” This is not the time for a navel-baring top or those jeans that “almost fit.” And stilettos might look hot, but your feet won’t thank you by the end of the day.
Three (or more) is not a crowd. The more friends you can bring along, the merrier. Not only can you all chip in for a tank of gas, but you can sample a variety of foods that much more easily. If your friends aren’t willing to share, then they’re not good friends anyway.
Map it out. Check out the festival’s website for a schedule or a floorplan of the event and plan your destinations ahead of time. Then you can cover as much ground as possible, and no one will be whining that they didn’t get their fried dough. Otherwise, it’ll be a long, sulky ride home.
Appoint a DD. If you prefer your indulgence in liquid form, hand your keys to the sober guy. No matter how good the BBQ or chowder (or the beer) might be, it’s not worth a DUI or a potentially fatal accident. Be smart.
ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY!!
