Food festivals should be some combination of sunshine, world-class chefs, unique dishes, charitable contributions, the finest wines, home-brewed hops, and a bit of the unexpected. In Florida, you’ll find hundreds of events offering just that. From the panhandle to the Keys, there’s always a festival happening worth a visit, but it takes much more than that to make our list of award winners.

We’ve hand picked these top 11 festivals thanks to traveler reviews, festival size, location, offerings, and so much more! We highly recommend planning a trip to these incredible edible festivals next time you’re in the Sunshine State. Here’s our list of the top food festivals in Florida for 2023:

Best Florida Food Festivals

Florida Strawberry Festival

About the festival: The Florida Strawberry Festival is an 11-day community event celebrating the strawberry harvest of Eastern Hillsborough County. Each year, over 500,000 visitors enjoy the festival’s headline entertainment, youth livestock shows, rides, exhibits of commerce and, of course, its strawberry shortcake.

See all Plant City vacation rentals

Worldwide Cuban Sandwich Art & Food Festival

About the festival: This exciting free family & community festival features live entertainment, food & cultural vendors – plus Cuban Sandwich contestants and vendors from all over the world! Each year they feature the biggest Cuban sandwich, which is then donated to the homeless.

See all Tampa vacation rentals

South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival

About the festival: A dazzling roster of dozens of celebrity winemakers, distillers, chefs, brew masters and entertainers converge in South Walton, Florida to wine, dine, educate and entertain guests as part of the four-day celebration of wine.

See all Fort Walton Beach vacation rentals

Naples Winter Wine Festivals

About the festival: The Naples Winter Wine Festival, one of the world’s most prestigious charity wine auctions, offers a weekend of unforgettable memories. Guests enjoy world-class food and wine during intimate dinners in private homes and are invited to bid on once-in-a-lifetime travel and wine experiences during an electrifying live auction.

See all Naples vacation rentals

Veritage Miami

About the festival: VeritageMiami is an epic 4-day food festival joining local, regional & national food and beverage restaurants in Miami, Florida. #EatDrinkUnite throughout the year through Craft Beer Festival, Bubbly Brunch, Interactive Dinner and Associate Legal Mingle!

See all Miami vacation rentals

South Florida Garlic Fest

About the festival: The South Florida Garlic Fest is the epitome of homegrown talent and a cultural showcase providing an outlet for local artists and chefs to express themselves. In a variety of mediums, Garlic Fest serves as a gathering festival focal point for musicians, artist of every genre and culinary artists.

See all Lake Worth vacation rentals

Boca Bacchanal Wine & Food Festival

About the festival: This popular and well-established event draws over 2,000 guests from throughout South Florida who enjoy a deluxe food and wine experience. Boca Bacchanal brings together world class chefs and vintners, offering their finest specialties, while providing residents and visitors with a delightful opportunity to support an outstanding cause.

See all Boca Raton vacation rentals

Miami Rum Renaissance Festival

About the festival: Presenting the best rum festival in the world — Miami Rum Festival attracts rum experts, professionals and enthusiasts from more than 30 countries for a fabulous weekend rum discovery. The 11th annual Rum Fest in Miami offers unlimited sampling of hundreds of fine rums from the Caribbean and beyond.

See all Miami vacation rentals

Clearwater Beach Uncorked

About the festival: Clearwater Beach Uncorked serves up an 180-degree Gulf of Mexico views artfully blending local chef rock stars with national brand partners offering tastes and sips to please every palate. Enjoy this weekend of great food, wine, and microbrews while tantalizing your taste buds and soothing your senses.

See all Clearwater Beach vacation rentals

Northeast Florida VegFest

About the festival: Grab your friends, your family, your neighbors and invite them to Northeast Florida’s largest veg-centric festival! In addition to live music, they’ll be plenty of crowd-pleasing vegan grub, a beer garden, kids zone, and crowd favorites: Scavenger hunt, pie-eating contest, freebies and more! This is a FREE family and dog-friendly event.

See all Jacksonville vacation rentals

Isle of 8 Flags Shrimp Festival

About the festival: One of the premier festivals in the Southeast, this Festival brings together the love of shrimp and the best of arts and entertainment, all set in the beautiful Historic District of Fernandina Beach, Florida. Enjoy the fine arts and crafts, antiques, regional and local music, shrimp caught and served locally, seafood dishes, The Pirate’s parade, fireworks, and family fun!

See all Fernandina Beach vacation rentals

Originally Published: March 13, 2019

Author

Hi, I'm Paul, I'm a travel writer and I love everything about the salt life. I grew up in the northeast, but we visited family in Florida often ... and I was hooked! I've been writing about the Sunshine State for two decades. I enjoy helping travelers find the best places to stay, to eat, and to play in Florida.

1 Comment

  1. Pingback: Homepage