22 Memphis food festivals you won't want to miss in 2024: A guide to the tastiest events
2024 is filled with food festivals that need to be on your calendar.
From an international barbecue festival to beer fests to a world-class event with top chefs from around the country, there is something for everyone on this list.
Here is a look at some of the biggest food fests and events happening in Memphis and the Mid-South this year.
MoSH Science of Beer
The Museum of Science & History (MoSH) will host its annual Science of Beer event on Jan. 12.
This popular beer lovers' event allows guests to sample a variety of beers from some of the best breweries in the region, along with special items from some of the best Memphis restaurants.
In addition to the brews, there will be educational information on everything from carbonation to climate change, and how it all affects the brewing process.
The Science of Beer event raises funding for education and programming for the museum. Attendees will have the opportunity to talk to local brewers, attend mini-lectures and participate in beer-themed activities. Each guest will receive a commemorative 16-ounce glass.
Tickets are $50 for general admission ($45 for museum members) and $65 for VIP admission.
For more information and tickets, visit moshmemphis.com.
DeSoto County Dining Week
The first DeSoto County Dining Week is set for Jan. 21-27.
The week will be the perfect time to check out (or revisit) the numerous locally owned establishments in DeSoto County. With five cities included in DeSoto County — Southaven, Hernando, Horn Lake, Olive Branch and Walls, there will be lots of offerings for all types of dining.
For more information, visit visitdesotocounty.com.
Memphis Restaurant Association Awards Food Festival
The Memphis Restaurant Association will host its MRA Awards Food Festival on Feb. 4 at The Kent, 61 Keel Ave.
The 2024 MRA Restaurateur of the Year and the 2024 MRA Associate of the Year will be honored at the event, which runs from 5-9 p.m.
The tasting and food festival will feature samplings from food vendors and an open bar all night. You will leave full after heavy appetizers representing the makeup of the Memphis restaurant community with a football twist.
Tickets are $75 per person.
For more information and tickets, visit memphisrestaurants.com.
Black Restaurant Week
The ninth annual Memphis Black Restaurant Week is March 17-23. This annual dining week is an opportunity for Black-owned restaurants to offer dining deals to bring in new customers and raise awareness.
The list of restaurants is eclectic and diverse in menu offerings and parts of town. The common denominator is that they are all minority-owned establishments.
The week culminates with the annual Soulful Food Truck Festival on March 24.
For more information, visit blackrestaurantweek.com.
Vintage 901
The eighth annual Vintage901 is April 20-21.
If you love wine, food and good company, you need to attend the Vintage901 Wine & Food Festival, a two-day wine, food and music experience.
Wines will be flowing, good food will be plentiful and, most importantly, Memphians will have a unique opportunity to come together as a community.
The Grand Tasting is April 20 from 5-9 p.m. at The Medicine Factory, 85 Virginia Ave. The Sparkling Brunch is April 21 from noon-2 p.m. at the FedEx Event Center, 415 Great View Drive East.
Tickets start at $105
For more information, visit vintage901.org.
Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival
The Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival is 11 a.m.-7 p.m. April 21. This year's festival will be back in Downtown Memphis at its traditional location on Wagner Place and Riverside Drive.
The annual event in its third decade features more than 15,000 pounds of crawfish, live music and games for the kids. Proceeds from the event support Porter-Leath, a nonprofit that provides social services to at-risk children and families in Memphis.
For more information, visit porterleath.org.
GPAC Fried Chicken Fest
Germantown Performing Arts Center will host its third annual Fried Chicken Fest on May 11 at its outdoor venue, The Grove. Expect live music and fried chicken from various Memphis-area restaurants at this family-friendly event.
For more information, visit gpacweb.com.
Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest
Calling all barbecue lovers! The 46th edition of the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest will be May 15-18 at Liberty Park.
The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, the largest pork barbecue contest in the world, features the championship categories of Whole Hog, Rib and Shoulder.
For more information and tickets, visit memphisinmay.org.
MEMPHIS DINING: The 30 best restaurants in Memphis in 2023: Soul food, seafood and so much more
Forward Momentum Barbecue Contest
Forward Momentum, the producer of Mempho Music Festival and Mempho Presents, will host a yet-to-be-named barbecue cooking contest in Tom Lee Park on the same weekend of the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, which will be held at Liberty Park. The new barbecue contest will be May 16-18.
Memphis Italian Festival
Memphis Italian Festival will return to Marquette Park in East Memphis on May 30-June 1.
For more than three decades, the festival and cooking contest have celebrated all things Italian in Memphis. What originated as a Holy Rosary School fundraiser in a parking lot with eight teams has grown into a full-blown festival and cooking competition with more than 40 teams competing for the title of Grand Champion.
For more information, visit memphisitalianfestival.org.
Le Bon Appetit
Le Bon Appetit will be June 8 at The Kent, 61 Keel Ave. in Downtown Memphis.
Hosted by chef Kelly English, Le Bon Appetit features more than 30 of the nation’s best chefs who come together with one goal: to offer up "great food for a great cause." All proceeds benefit Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.
New this year will be a late-night party called Le Bon Appetit Late Night. This Late Night event will include four additional chefs and featured cocktails by local mixologists.
Tickets start at $250. VIP options are available.
For more information and tickets, visit lebonappetit.org.
Craft Food & Wine Festival
The fifth annual Craft Food & Wine Festival benefiting Church Health is set for June 23 at the Columns in Downtown Memphis. The Craft Food & Wine Festival is what organizer Cristina McCarter calls a “foodie megatopia.” Guests will be able to eat, drink and shop their way through more than 30 vendors of meats, pasta, jams, wine and all things tasty.
It’s a rare opportunity to meet and shop from local food artisans, while tasting their products.
Tickets start at $84 per person. VIP options are available.
For more information, visit eventbrite.com.
Memphis Vegan Festival
The fourth annual Memphis Vegan Festival is June 16 at The Fourth Bluff park in Downtown Memphis.
The 2023 festival showcased more than a dozen plant-based food vendors, lifestyle vendors and live music.
For more information, visit memphisveganfestival.com.
Le Diner En Blanc
The date for Le Diner En Blanc is still a secret, but it usually happens in August or September.
This unique dining experience is a gourmet picnic where all attendees wear white. The event started in France more than 30 years ago and has grown into a worldwide event with dinner happening in cities across the globe.
The event’s location is a secret. Guests meet at various pre-determined gathering spots across the city to board chartered buses that will transport them and all their picnic accoutrements to the surprise location. And as the name “en blanc” suggests, guests must wear all white, as well as bring picnic supplies that are also white.
For more information and tickets, visit memphis.dinerenblanc.com.
The Hill Country Boucherie & Blues Picnic
The Hill Country Boucherie & Blues Picnic at Home Place Pastures farm in Como, Mississippi, is a one-of-a-kind farm-to-table event. World-class chefs from across the South use every part of the animal to bring you a lovely meal by the lake at Home Place Pastures.
After the dinner, guests can enjoy live music at the Farm Shed. Farm tours are offered, and camping options are available on the farm.
The date is not yet confirmed, but traditionally this event is held in late summer.
For tickets and more information, visit homeplacepastures.com.
Memphis Greek Festival
Opa! Memphis Greek Festival will celebrate its 65th festival Sept. 20-21 at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 573 N. Highland.
Attendees can enjoy authentic Greek foods, dance, music and culture. The popular "drive-thru" featuring Greek dishes like souvlakia, pasticcio and moussaka will once again be back.
Tickets are $3 per person.
For more information and tickets, visit memphisgreekfestival.com.
MEMPHIS RESTAURANTS: Jennifer Chandler shares her 5 favorite bites of 2023
MoSH Science of Wine
The Museum of Science & History (MoSH) has not yet set a date for its annual Science of Wine, but traditionally the event is held in September.
At this 21+ event, guests will enjoy wine and food pairings with a side of science.
Enjoy food from local restaurants and wines from vineyards from around the country while you discover which wines pair best with which foods and why. While you sip, learn some of the fundamental components of the wines, including the importance of acidity, fermentation, yeast, carbon dioxide, alcohol, sugar and tannins.
The event ticket includes lectures and other fun wine-related activities. All attendees receive a commemorative wine glass. Proceeds will support MoSH’s programs and activities for area students.
For more information and tickets, visit moshmemphis.com.
Cooper-Young Beerfest
The exact date has not been set for the 14th annual Cooper-Young Beerfest, but organizers say it will be in October.
This annual fundraising event benefits the Cooper-Young Community Association (CYCA). All money raised goes to the CYCA and is used to keep the beloved Midtown Memphis neighborhood clean, friendly, safe and welcoming to all who visit.
It’s a regional festival with all breweries featured located within a day’s drive of Cooper-Young.
As in years past, the festival will be held at Midtown Autowerks, 795 S. Cooper.
For more information and tickets, visit cybeerfest.org.
Memphis Food & Wine Festival
Memphis Food & Wine Festival will be back this fall. The upscale food and wine event is Oct. 19 at the Radians Amphitheater at Memphis Botanic Garden.
This event offers patrons the opportunity to interact face-to-face with leading chefs and vintners from around the nation.
The 2024 event will once again feature renowned chefs, including several Memphis favorites. Dozens of wineries will be present, each serving several wines from their portfolio.
For more information and tickets, visit memphisfoodandwinefestival.org.
Memphis Brewfest
Memphis Brewfest will celebrate its 14th year in October. The date has yet to be confirmed.
The popular beer lovers' event features local food trucks, live music, games, vendors and — as always — unlimited beer samples from 50-plus breweries and cideries from around the world. A VIP ticket gets you fast entry, private restrooms and special beer samples.
For more information and tickets, visit memphisbrewfest.com.
Grind City Coffee Xpo
Grind City Coffee Xpo will be back for the fifth time on Nov. 16.
This event is focused on coffee culture and everything that goes with it. From roasters to shops, the Xpo highlights the amazing people and passion that exist in the coffee community. The event’s mission is to offer even more exciting ways to learn about and enjoy your favorite cup of joe. Guests can enjoy coffee tastings, as well as attend coffee and cocktail demos.
For more information and tickets, visit grindcitycoffee.com.
Downtown Dining Week
Downtown Dining Week returns in 2024 for its 15th year. The exact dates have yet to be set, but it is traditionally the first week of November.
Expect a variety of Downtown restaurants to take part, from fine dining to casual eateries to gathering spots like bars and coffee shops.
The Downtown Memphis Commission supports the Downtown Memphis restaurant community with this annual Downtown Dining Week each November.
For more information, visit downtownmemphis.com.
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.
If you want to keep up with the tastiest news in the Bluff City — like the story above, sign up for our Eat Drink Memphis weekly newsletter for a hearty serving of stories on everything from restaurants to recipes. You can sign up here.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What Memphis food festivals and events are planned in 2024?
