Fall Festival Season Kicks Off This Week in Atlanta The 2026-2027 food festival calendar is packed with major events across the country, starting with the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival this Thursday through Sunday and continuing through early 2027 with festivals in South Florida and beyond.

Atlanta Food & Wine Festival The Atlanta Food & Wine Festival Presented by Invesco QQQ runs September 10–13 with over 200 celebrated chefs, culinary personalities and tastemakers. Built around the theme "The City is the Story," the four-day event features signature Tasting Tents presented by Goya Foods, a Burger Social hosted by Ford Fry presented by Mike's Amazing, and Whiskey & Fire. Each day offers distinct experiences: The Atlanta Standard hosted by Monti Carlo on Thursday, Flavors of Atlanta hosted by Andrew Zimmern on Friday, The Southern Spread hosted by Shawn Osbey and A Fried Chicken Affair hosted by Kelli Potter on Saturday, and The Homecoming hosted by Kadrea Brown on Sunday.

South Florida's October Slate South Florida's culinary season heats up in October with multiple flagship events.

The 14th annual South Beach Seafood Festival (October 21–24) brings together more than 40 regional restaurants and acclaimed chefs for collaborative dinners, chef competitions, and beachfront tastings. The schedule includes an opening-night dinner at Phuc Yea on October 21, exclusive dining experiences at Rao's Miami Beach and Macchialina on October 22, the Tequila Herradura VIP Chef Showdown and Pacifico Beer Bartender Showdown on October 23, and Seafood Slam on October 24 featuring over 40 restaurants. On October 28, the James Beard Foundation's Taste America® series presented by American Express and Resy returns to Miami with a pop-up dinner at Wynwood Event Center at 7 p.m. The event will feature chefs Raheem Sealey and Monika Dominguez of Shiso Miami in collaboration with chef Sebastian Vargas of Los Félix, Krüs Kitchen, and Füm.

Live-Fire Tour Spans Multiple Cities The 2026 Heritage Fire x Whiskies of the World Tour, produced by Tours by a21, brings open-air, live-fire culinary experiences to multiple venues through early 2027. The tour features Whiskey & Fire events in Atlanta (September 12 at Guardian Works), San Jose (September 20 at Hayes Mansion), and Pebble Beach (October 30 at The Inn at Spanish Bay), followed by Whiskey & Fuego in Miami in December at Biltmore Coral Gables. The tour culminates with the Heritage Fire Grand Finale Presented by Visit Greenville, S.C. in January/February 2027 at Trailblazer Park in Travelers Rest, SC, where chefs compete for the title of Heritage Hero of the Year.

December in Palm Beach, January in Fort Lauderdale The Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival returns for its 19th year December 10–13, presented by RBC Wealth Management, with 24 events including four debuts: a Master Cooking Class with chef Mauro Colagreco at Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, Disco Brunch at Arthur & Sons' with chefs Giorgio Rapicavoli and Michael Schwartz, a two-day Pop-Up Brunch with Brennan's at Pistache, and Maneet's Bollywood Experience at Ela Curry & Cocktails with Pushkar Marathe and Maneet Chauhan. The Visit Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival, in its 8th year, runs January 18–24, 2027, across Greater Fort Lauderdale's 24-mile beachfront and downtown communities. Highlights include The Grand Tasting hosted by Marcus Samuelsson with Eddie Jackson, Bobby Hicks and Hannah Flora, and the debut of The Feast, an Italian-inspired celebration hosted by Rino Cerbone featuring unlimited tastings, cocktails, wine and live entertainment.

Why It Matters

For hospitality operators, event planners, and culinary professionals, this festival calendar represents significant opportunities for chef visibility, product placement, and revenue generation across major U.S. markets during peak travel seasons. The concentration of high-profile events—particularly in South Florida and through early 2027—positions these destinations as culinary tourism drivers while providing venues and suppliers with concentrated consumer touchpoints.

For more insights and trends in the food and beverage sector, check out more articles in The Food & Beverage Magazine family of publications.

Written by FBM Publications Editors