Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle

I f cooking and flavours drive your hol- iday agenda, a food festival may be just the ticket. So loosen your belt a notch, take a good long drink of water and let your taste buds loose! Texas is known for barbecue, Tex-Mex, hand-cut steaks and seafood fresh from the Gulf coast. Pamper your palate in one of the country's hippest cities at the Austin Food + Wine Festival (April 2020), a three-day epicurean adventure with top chefs who serve up samples of the classic dishes that put them on the map. Mark your calendar for the Terlingua International Chili Cham- pionship (fall 2020), the granddaddy of all chili cook-offs. In Florida, the annual Epcot Interna- tional Food & Wine Festival runs until November 23, 2019, at Orlando's Walt Disney World Resort. Guests can sip, sample sweet treats and snacks from some of the world's most famous wineries and cele- brated chefs as they circle the iconic World Showcase. In downtown Orlando, the 5 th Annual Orlando Beer Festival (November 16) invites guests to sample more than 200 craft beers from local, regional and national breweries. Along the state's Gulf coast, the Annual Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival (March 14–15) is the spot to fill up at the world-famous Lions Club shrimp dinners. In fall 2020, the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival includes internationally renowned master chefs, culinary personalities, wine- makers and mixologists. The festival presents more than 20 events and 120 chefs spanning three islands to showcase Hawaii's extraordinary culinary talent and the diversity of locally grown products. At the same time of year, the two-day Kauai Chocolate & Coffee Festival highlights these two favourite local crops with farm tours, workshops/demonstrations and a chocolate and coffee pampering station. Between January and March, the Ski Ver- mont Specialty Food Tour brings Vermont food producers to 15 different ski resorts all over the state. In summer, there's the Cheesemakers Festival at Shelburne Farms, the Foodaroo Food Truck Fest in Middlebury and the Garlic & Herb Festival in Bennington. Explore Vermont's famous sugarhouses on Maple Open House Weekend (March), a rite of spring and the perfect chance to taste sweet maple syrup. Each May, the world-famous Blue Crab Festival lures more than 50,000 visitors to the small fishing village of Little River, out- side Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (May 16–17). Listen to live music and enjoy a healthy serving of the area's famous dish— blue crab. November 2019 marks the 25 th anniversary of the Franklin County CiderDays in Mas- sachusetts. There will be fresh-pressed cider, jams, local honey and a fall classic, apple cider donuts. In May, the boutique-style Nantucket Wine & Food Festival marks the opening of the summer season for many of the island's restaurants, tours and galleries. In November, Virginia Oyster Month invites visitors to discover these succulent bivalves, which come from eight distinct oyster regions scattered throughout the coastal portions of the state. The Appo- mattox Oyster & Seafood Festival (April 11) features Virginia oysters, Maryland-style crab cakes, shrimp, fish and po' boys. The Oregon Truffle Festival ( January/ February) celebrates the only truffles in the U.S. as well as the wines of the renowned Willamette Valley. Held annu- ally in March, the Oregon Chocolate Festival features the creations of dozens of West Coast chocolatiers. Utah's annual Chocolate & Cheese Fes- tival (March) is a nod to the state nicknamed "the Craft Chocolate Capital of America." Held every June in Park City, Savor the Summit is Utah's largest outdoor dinner party, a long dinner table running the length of historic Main Street where a variety of restaurants serve over 2,500 participants alfresco. DS PHOTO: Sample fresh cheese at the Cheesemakers Festival at Shelburne Farms in Vermont. TASTY FESTIVALS EDITORIAL & PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOSEPHINE MATYAS Discover more information on travel to the USA at visittheusa.ca. DREAMSCAPES FALL/ WINTER 2019 44

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