Festivals that either have food as a main theme or incorporate plenty of eating.
The Downtown Willoughby Rib Burn Off offers a mix of national BBQ competitors, local restaurant BBQ and food trucks with music and more. 2026 DATE: May 16-17, 2026 Location: Downtown WilloughbyWebsite: https://willoughbyohio.com/event/dtw-rib-burn-off-3/ ****This post documents my experience on May 21, 2022. The Downtown Willoughby Rib Burn Off took place along … Read more
Donut Fest is a festival that allows you to sample donuts from various local bakeries. There are also coffee options and merchandise. 2024 DATE: TBDLocation: TBDWebsite: https://donutfest.com/cleveland AUTHOR’S NOTES: Donut Fest takes place in more than one city. While participating donut and coffee businesses may be different, the setup and … Read more
The Columbus Italian Festival takes place at St. John the Baptist Church, offering delicious Italian food, entertainment, music, rides, games, a children’s activity area and more. 2026 DATE: October 9-11, 2026Location: St. John the Baptist168 E Lincoln StColumbus, OH 43215Website: https://www.columbusitalianfestival.com/ **** The post below documents my experience on October … Read more
The Cleveland Garlic Festival takes place in Shaker Square, celebrating garlic with local garlic vendors, garlic foods (like delicious garlic fries, garlic popsicles, garlic cookies) and a garlic cook-off with tasting samples. There are also gift vendors, booths held by local organizations, live music and kids’ activities. 2026 DATE: AUGUST … Read more
The St. Maron Maronite Catholic Church Food Festival celebrates the Lebanese, Syrian and American cultures through food and music. While the main reason to visit the festival is all the delicious food, there are also a kids’ area with inflatables, music performances, a tent with a bar and hookah, and … Read more
The Peaches and Cream Summer Harvest Festival takes place at Quarry Hill Orchards with music, peach ice cream and more. 2026 DATE: August 8, 2026Location: Quarry Hill Orchards8403 Mason Rd #1Berlin Heights, OH 44814Website: https://quarryhillorchards.com/special-events/peaches-and-cream-a-harvest-celebration/ **** This post documents my experience on August 14, 2021. It was a beautiful day … Read more
Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s Italian (Parish) Festival is a great cultural festival that’s fun for the family. It offers an assortment of Italian food, games of chance, entertainment and more. 2026 DATE: July 8-12, 2026Location: Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church1355 W 70th StCleveland, OH 44102Website: https://olmc-cleveland.org/events **** This … Read more
This post documents my experience on May 6, 2021. It’s been over a year since I have been able to attend a festival, so I can’t tell you how happy I was to drive out to the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds (wrong entrance, of course – go to the Eastland Road … Read more
Maslenitsa is a Russian pre-Lenten festival that usually involves blini and Maslenitsa, a doll that represents winter and is sometimes burned. 2026 DATE: February 15, 2026 – CANCELLEDLocation: Russian Cultural Garden5947 Mayfield RdCleveland, OH 44124Website: https://www.russianculturalgarden.com **** This post documents my experience on March 1, 2020. Just before Eastern Orthodox … Read more