If there is anything that trumps music as a cause worth celebrating, it’s food. The Sherp is here chronicling the best food festivals of 2015.
From luxurious food and wine affairs to organic farm produce, food has been a relentless part of festivals this year. Even music festivals such as Coachella and Green Man have upped their culinary game, in want of serving a delectably musical affair. But some festivals, more impassioned for food than others, really did stand out. And no, not all of them are state-of-the-art fancy food parties. We list out the very best food festivals of the ones this year, from the conscientious to the wacky!
Sweetlife
Where: Columbia, USA
When: May
You know whatβs better than food and music? Food and music, together. East Coast organic food chain Sweetgreen gets this absolutely right with Sweetflife Festival. As a food brand, Sweetgreen has ascended the level of mere provision to a lifestyle that promotes health, sustenance and values farmer relationships.Sweetlife began as a local food festival, armed with indie, underground bands. Over the years it has grown into a full-fledged event, featuring some of the biggest musical acts of the year. In its sixth edition, the festival had Kendrick Lamar, Calvin Harris, Pixies, The Weekend, Billy Idol, Tove Lo, Phantogram, Banks and St. Paul and the Broken Bones. Itβs a full-fledged musical affair, with a legitimate food line-up to hoot with.
(Source: Sweetlife Festival Facebook)
Bombay Local
Where: Mumbai, India
When: May
Small Fry Co., the food curating company led by Insia Lacewalla Β and Paresh Chhabria, can be credited with assimilating food into the Indian pop culture scene in a βcoolβ manner. Having organised One-of-a-kind food pop-up events around the city, involving home and gourmet chefs alike, Bombay Local is their premier homegrown food festival, involving several small and big names from Mumbaiβs food industry. With over 60 Homegrown food stalls β restaurants, caterers, home cooks, pastry chefs, culinary artists and artisans, you name it β coupled with other amazing elements to heighten the experience such as a cultural mini-market encompassing fashion, art and a collaboration of the cityβs culture, thereβs no room for disinterest here.
(Source: Meher Manda | Festival Sherpa)
The Big Feastival
Where: Cotswolds, UK
When: August
A food festival helmed by Jamie Oliver is automatically speak-worthy. But The Big Feastival, in its short lifespan, has grown to be a monumentally delicious effort. Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver and bassist of popular British band Blur, Alex James come together for this culturally vital phenomenon, one that merges food, music and British culture in enviable fashion. With camping included, The Big Feastival is a foodie and family affair, bringing out the childlike enthusiasm for food in all. It cannot go wrong with this.
(Source: Big Feastival Facebook)
Ye Dil Maange Momos
Where: Delhi, India
When: October
Momos, or Dimsums or Dumplings might be an east-Asian affair, but when it comes to Indiaβs capital Delhi, itβs staple diet, no less. Found every few meters on every street of Delhi, the savoury dish has the biggest following in the city. So itβs only fair that it gets its own festival, is it not? The βYe Dil Maange Momosβ Festival attempts to βcreate Momo Heaven by bringing the best from all over Delhi on one platform. Along with some vibrant entertainment, itβs a celebration and a tribute to our favourite roadside snack like youβve never seen before!! Chocolate, Vodka, Tandoori, Afghani, Wheat, Butter and a lot more!! You gotta try βem all!β The humble dumplings are reimagined in a manner hitherto unknown!
Taste of Vail Festival
Where: Vail, Colorado
When: April
Itβs a food festival with a pretty good sight to hold. Tucked away on the icy Vail Mountains of Colorado is a surprisingly luxurious food affair thatβs hard to resist for two reasons. First, is the food, obviously. And second, that gorgeous sight. Truly experiencing the best two things in the world there is. Taste of Vail features North Americaβs finest chefs and winemakers along with the best cooked meals you will ever have. If youβre looking for a food destination that promises a sophisticated and worldly atmosphere and not to mentionβdelicious food, Taste of Vail is your go-to fest.
(Source: Taste of Vail Facebook)
Lopburi Monkey Banquet
Where: Lopburi, Thailand
When: November
Why must we only celebrate food festivals meant for pithy humans? Every November, monkeys have a field day in the town of Lopburi, Thailand as townspeople get together to organise a decadent fare for them as part of the Lopburi Monkey Banquet. Β At Lopburi, the capital city of the central Lopburi province, the last Sunday of November is reserved for hospitality of a truly unique kind. No, food is not prepared for universal celebration, but for serving monkeys, in reverence of Hanuman, the faithful half-monkey-half-man server to Rama. Tourists flock to witness this truly unique, and dare we say wacky, event. While theyβre asked to not challenge, tease or threaten the monkeys for their own physical and mental sanity, they do gather around to peacefully witness the monkeys indulge in the lavish spread; as the guests of the day jump about, scream and consume food. The Phra Prang Sam Yot temple, located on Vichayen Road serves as the backdrop of the event which begins at 10am in the morning, until the wee hours of the evening.
(Source: wheresthat.com)
Giant Omelette Festival
Where: Louisiana, USA
When: November
While delectable food festivals may be aplenty, the Giant Omelette Festival walks away with being wacky, weird and delicious, not to mention record holding. The centre of this festival at Abbeville, Louisiana is quite literally a giant omelette. The town is famous for this massive, 5000 egg omelette, that is actually a tribute to Abbevilleβs French connection. The celebration has its roots in the French town of Bessieres, where Napoleon had once stopped with his army in tow, and ate an omelette. He enjoyed it so much that the next day, he ordered all the eggs in the town to be made into a giant omelette to feed his troops. Since then, the omelette became a traditional Easter feast here, and the idea travelled to Abbeville.
(Source: activerain.com)