WELLFLEET OYSTERFEST

OCTOBER 15–16, 2016

Wellfleet, Massachusetts

508-349-2510 wellfleetoysterfest.org

Proving that there’s life on Cape Cod beyond Labor Day, this festival wraps up the season with a celebration of Wellfleet’s most famous export. Every moment of each day is stuffed with live music (bluegrass, African drumming, Celtic, and more), educational lectures, a sunset dance party, an oyster-shucking contest, and film screenings. On the food side, you’ll find oyster and wine pairings, abundant raw bars, restaurant booths, and chef demos.

KENYON’S GRIST MILL CLAM CAKES & CHOWDER FESTIVAL

OCTOBER 22–23, 2016 West Kingston, Rhode Island 401-783-4054 kenyonsgristmill.com

Like many, we were dismayed when Kenyon’s Grist Mill canceled its popular Johnnycake Festival in 2014, but this smaller-scale event does its best to fill the void. Over two days in October,

Shuckers get down to business at Massachusetts’ Wellfleet OysterFest, held in October. This familyfriendly event is produced by SPAT (Wellfleet Shellfish Promotion & Tasting), a nonprofit group whose mission is to support the town’s historic shellfishing and aquaculture industries.

Funky Feasts

As much as we love traditional food festivals, celebrations with a dash of irreverence are delicious, too. Maine’s Boothbay Harbor Fishermen’s Festival (boothbayharbor.com) cuts loose with a codfish relay, crate running, the “Miss Shrimp” competition, and, of course, great seafood (April 22–24, 2016). The Maine Whoopie Pie Festival (mainewhoopiepie festival.com) honors the official state treat, with bakers competing for the title of best whoopie maker (June 25, 2016). The New England Food Truck Festival (nefoodtruckfest.com) at the Eastern States Fairground in West Springfield, Mass., is a must visit for anyone enamored of America’s favorite brand of street food (July 23–24, 2016). Every fall, Eat X NE (eatxne.com) is Burlington, Vermont’s homage to area fare, with sessions on growing your own food and eating local on a budget (Sept. 17–18, 2016). Finally, What the Fluff? (flufffestival.com) honors Archibald Query, who invented marshmallow fluff in Somerville, Mass., in 1917, with cooking contests, games of “Blind Man’s Fluff,” a marshmallow toss, and more (Sept. 24, 2016).

visitors are invited to tour the historic mill, sample free johnnycakes and local coffee, and snack on delicious clam cakes and chowder, all while learning about New England’s heritage foods.

Cider Days

NOVEMBER 5–6, 2016 Franklin County, Massachusetts 413-773-5463 ciderdays.org

When other spirits were hard to come by, resourceful New Englanders made hard cider with their abundant apple crop; today, microbrew aficionados, wine lovers, and foodies are rediscovering cider’s charms. This two-day festival, now in its 22nd year, celebrates all things apple with cidermaking workshops, orchard tours, apple pressing and cooking demonstrations, community suppers, and a “Cider Salon” featuring ciders from nearly 70 makers, representing the U.S., Canada, and Europe.