Summer Food Events - What will you eat this summer?

The great thing about Sacramento is that we have food events all year long.  Our name of Farm-to-Fork Capitol is appropriate with everything from Baconfest to the Banana Festival. In fact, sometimes competition is fierce for your attention and your dollar.

We are also blessed to be in the middle of so many destinations. With Napa, Tahoe, Reno, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Monterey/Carmel, and Yosemite so close by, there are events to select from throughout Northern California.

Below is the Foodie Calendar through September's Farm-to-Fork Festival. The ones with comments are my favorites that I return to year after year.

July 17-18 Marysville Peach Festival
July 18 Capay Organic Tomato Festival 
July 24-26 Gilroy Garlic Festival
July 27 Courtland Pear Festival



August 2 Cochon Heritage Fire (Napa)
Probably my favorite of the summer, Heritage Fire is a meat lover's dream event. Plucking the best chefs from the Napa Valley and Sacramento. So far I see Michael Thiemann from Mother/Empress listed again and I'm hoping that we have some good Sacramento representation again this year. 

August 8 Woodland Tomato Festival 
August 8-9 Gravenstein Apple Fair



August 15 Sactown Wings

OK. I'm a sucker for wings.  Not the fake chicken breast, boneless wings, but fatty, boney, real wings. Unless I end up camping this weekend, you'll definitely find me here!

August 15-16 SF Street Food Festival

Almost cancelled this year for good, it was saved by moving it out of the Mission District to Pier 70. Another difference seems to be the large addition of actual restaurants instead of keeping the focus on food trucks and tent vendors. It also appears to be two days versus just the Saturday. I'll be keeping my eye on this one because it's a great festival, but undergoing a lot of change.

August 16 Have an Offal Day 3

This is my event and be there or be square! Obviously this is an event for those with strong stomachs. Offal is the term for all the "other" parts of the animal, including organs, skin, feet, tongue, etc. Twelve of Sacramento's top chefs are bringing out their A-game to prove to you that offal can taste offally good.

Aug 20-23 Eat Drink SF
August 29-30 Bodega Seafood Art & Wine Festival
Aug 30 Jewish Food Faire
Sept 4-6 Greek Food Festival
Sept 12 Fruit-to-Root Food Literacy Fair
Sept 12-13 Crawdad & Catfish Festival


Sept 17 Sac Burger Battle

Another Must-Do as this has got to be one of the best run food events in Sacramento put on by my very own friend, Rodney AKA Burgerjunkies. Do you have the stomach capacity to taste 15 burgers and then vote on the best one? It's an ordeal I am willing to do every September.

Sept 18-20     Eat Real Festival
Sept 26 - Farm to Fork Festival 

You have to be Sacramento proud and attend F2F! This festival is the finale of the month's activities, but the key is to keep an eye out for all the not yet announced activities and dinners during September. Some, like the Tower Bridge Dinner, carry a big price tag, but there are a few that are affordable or even free.