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DC area food festivals coming up?

foodgeek

By foodgeek
in D.C. & DelMarVa: Dining

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foodgeek

foodgeek

Posted
Posted (edited)

If anyone has been to these, please let me know how they were. Thanks.

This Saturday (3/13) is the Shamrock fest in Ballston, which includes many restaurants:

http://www.shamrockfest.com/

Sakura Matsuri Festival - Japanese Cherry Blossom Street Festival

Date: April 03, 2004 - April 03, 2004

Time: 11 am - 6 p.m

Location: 12th Street and Pennsylvania Ave., NW

Metro: Federal Triangle,(Blue, Orange)

Fee: Free

Description: Produced by the Japan-America Society of Washington, DC. Experience the sights and sounds of Japan! Following the parade, walk over to one of the largest Japanese street festivals in the country. Enjoy cultural performances from Japan, hands-on arts & crafts demonstrations, a Japanese market and the Taste of Japan featuring the best of Japanese cuisine.

Taste of Arlington:

http://www.comres.org/Taste/

Sunday, May 16, 2004, 12-5 p.m. in Ballston on Wilson Blvd. between Glebe Road and Randolph Street, adjacent to the Ballston Common Mall

Edited by foodgeek (log)

-Jason

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mnebergall

mnebergall

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May 16, 2004

Toast to Alexandria

Join us at Colloingwood-on-the-Potomac for this annual showcase of the area's top restaurants. This garden-party is a "must attend event". Please check back frequently as more information becomes available.

Location: Collingwood-on-the-Potomac

Time: 4pm - 7pm

Cost:

$100/premier patron ticket (includes parking and gift bag)

$75/patron ticket (includes parking and gift bag)

$45/ticket in advance

$55/ticket at-the-door

To receive an invitation to the Toast to Alexandria please e-mail Elizabeth Garstecki with you name and address. Please indicate in your e-mail that you would like information on the Toast to Alexandria.

http://www.campagnacenter.org/events.htm

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Al_Dente

Al_Dente

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I've had my fill (actually "fill" is the wrong word) of food festivals-- especially the ones held on Pennsylvania Ave and 12th. You stand in line for your half a dixie cup of chili/bbq/noodles or whatever the festival of the day is. Then you stand in another line to buy tickets for the privilege of standing in yet another line to get overpriced warm beer. I don't believe I've ever sampled anything that was even close to being worth the hassle.

peak performance is predicated on proper pan preparation...

-- A.B.

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JPW

JPW

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Like Al_Dente, I generally avoid the big ones downtown due to crowds and my intensifying misanthropy, but some of the smaller suburban ones actually provide some value and less of a stockyard atmosphere.

For example, when I lived in the area I really enjoyed the Shirlington fest.

If someone writes a book about restaurants and nobody reads it, will it produce a 10 page thread?

Joe W

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mnebergall

mnebergall

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The Alexandria event is sort of a coat & tie event and several of the major Alexandria restaurants come with plenty of food and there is much wine and beer. The entire Alexandria intellegentsia (politician included) shows up. I can recall (barely) some excellent raw oyster/vodka shooters

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foodgeek

foodgeek

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I've had my fill (actually "fill" is the wrong word) of food festivals-- especially the ones held on Pennsylvania Ave and 12th. You stand in line for your half a dixie cup of chili/bbq/noodles or whatever the festival of the day is. Then you stand in another line to buy tickets for the privilege of standing in yet another line to get overpriced warm beer. I don't believe I've ever sampled anything that was even close to being worth the hassle.

I'm new in the area, so i've yet to try those DC events. I do avoid $1 thai food at street fairs. :)

-Jason

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babka

babka

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the 12th and Penn festivals are wierd, but one of the more amusing switches takes place during the Thai festival, which I've stumbled on two years running. Thai and Vietnamese vendors tend to run the food stands at all the ethnic/neighborhood festivals, and they show up in force at the Thai one, too, where they are supplemented by...salvadorans.

but the Thai fest is the only street fair I'd recommend--long lines and wierd flat chicken and noodles in the front of the booths, with pretty good fantastic Thai street food in the back of the booths.

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syzygy8

syzygy8

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but the Thai fest is the only street fair I'd recommend--long lines and wierd flat chicken and noodles in the front of the booths, with pretty good fantastic Thai street food in the back of the booths.

I'll second that. It's the only one I go to on Penn. Street sate and cheap Singha.

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foodgeek

foodgeek

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the 12th and Penn festivals are wierd, but one of the more amusing switches takes place during the Thai festival, which I've stumbled on two years running. Thai and Vietnamese vendors tend to run the food stands at all the ethnic/neighborhood festivals, and they show up in force at the Thai one, too, where they are supplemented by...salvadorans.

but the Thai fest is the only street fair I'd recommend--long lines and wierd flat chicken and noodles in the front of the booths, with pretty good fantastic Thai street food in the back of the booths.

When is the Thai fest?

-Jason

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hillvalley

hillvalley

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my intensifying misanthropy

I'm suffering from this too. I think I need a vacation. :wacko:

Grouches 'R' Us

:angry:

Amen sistah!

True Heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic.

It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost,

but the urge to serve others at whatever cost. -Arthur Ashe

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  • 2 months later...
Roger Troutman

Roger Troutman

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Posted

I love ramps. When they are in season, you can drive down the highway in parts of West Virginia and smell their sweet aroma wafting from the forests.

Love,

Mr. Roger Troutman, who enjoys food and beverages.

CHAIR, INTERNATIONAL DINING RESEARCH INSTITUTE

WASHINGTON, D.C.

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Malawry

Malawry

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Foodgeek, I've never seen ramps at an area farmer's market...and I've looked! I think they grow too far away to be eligible for the producer-only markets, most of which have a mile radius beyond which a farmer is not regarded as "local."

In other festivals...

I hope you all will consider attending the Pennsylvania Lavender Festival in Fairfield, PA (about an hour from the Beltway at I-270) June 18-20. Cooking demonstrations, garden tours, cut-your-own lavender...and an herbal picnic lunch overseen by yours truly. (The new ham sandwich with orange-thyme jelly on focaccia should be particularly good.) Yes, it's a bit of a drive (especially for Virginians) but it's a good outing, and a family-friendly one for those whose weekend plans include kidlets.

Rochelle Reid Myers aka "Malawry"

Diary of a Cooking School Student

Foodblog: 34 Hungry College Girls

Foodblog: Expecting a Future Culinary Student

Lots of Everything

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foodgeek

foodgeek

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Foodgeek, I've never seen ramps at an area farmer's market...and I've looked! I think they grow too far away to be eligible for the producer-only markets, most of which have a mile radius beyond which a farmer is not regarded as "local."

I hope you all will consider attending the Pennsylvania Lavender Festival in Fairfield, PA (about an hour from the Beltway at I-270) June 18-20. Cooking demonstrations, garden tours, cut-your-own lavender...and an herbal picnic lunch overseen by yours truly. (The new ham sandwich with orange-thyme jelly on focaccia should be particularly good.) Yes, it's a bit of a drive (especially for Virginians) but it's a good outing, and a family-friendly one for those whose weekend plans include kidlets.

Sounds great, but we are wearing ourselves out with all the weekend craft fairs we have been doing (the g/f is a crafter/vendor) and can't really add another road trip on right now. We did have fun at the Tarara winery Winds and Wine fest last weekend. :) Enough fun that we'll probably do their blackberry fest (august) and great grape fest (september). Some of their wines were good, and the u-pick asparagus was great!

Sounds like youll have a great time!

-Jason

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hillvalley

hillvalley

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Linganore Wine has a music festival once a month. This weekend it's blues.

Sure, the wines would never make the long list at Citronelle, but for $10 bucks you can drink all the blueberry or dandelion wine your heart desires while listening to some good music.

True Heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic.

It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost,

but the urge to serve others at whatever cost. -Arthur Ashe

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foodgeek

foodgeek

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Linganore Wine has a music festival once a month. This weekend it's blues.

Sure, the wines would never make the long list at Citronelle, but for $10 bucks you can drink all the blueberry or dandelion wine your heart desires while listening to some good music.

I love blues, but this weekend I'll be at Viva Vienna. There is a guy there with good Chilean empanadas, so I'm excited. :)

Also...check out www.tarara.com. It is a winery in Leesburg. we just went to their Winds & Wine Festival, and had a blast. We're also going to their Blackberry festival (August), and Great Grape Festival (September), but can't make the Apple Festival (October).

The U-pick asparagus from Tarara was really good. Some of their wines were good, and we came home w/2 bottles. There will be blackberry picking at the next fest, and apple picking at Great Grape and the apple fest.

Is there any good food at the Arlington County fair in August?

-Jason

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foodgeek

foodgeek

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Linganore Wine has a music festival once a month.  This weekend it's blues. 

Sure, the wines would never make the long list at Citronelle, but for $10 bucks you can drink all the blueberry or dandelion wine your heart desires while listening to some good music.

I love blues, but this weekend I'll be at Viva Vienna. There is a guy there with good Chilean empanadas, so I'm excited. :)

Also...check out www.tarara.com. It is a winery in Leesburg. we just went to their Winds & Wine Festival, and had a blast. We're also going to their Blackberry festival (August), and Great Grape Festival (September), but can't make the Apple Festival (October).

The U-pick asparagus from Tarara was really good. Some of their wines were good, and we came home w/2 bottles. There will be blackberry picking at the next fest, and apple picking at Great Grape and the apple fest.

Is there any good food at the Arlington County fair in August?

Oh, my error. Viva Vienna is memorial day weekend. This weekend I have other plans.

-Jason

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syzygy8

syzygy8

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The U-pick asparagus from Tarara was really good. Some of their wines were good, and we came home w/2 bottles.

How many people were picking? Was it orderly? When we did it last year there must have been 2-3 dozen people, and when we went out to the asparagus patch and let loose, it was like a gold rush, or Oklahoma land claim when everyone ran to find their "plot of green!"

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foodgeek

foodgeek

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The U-pick asparagus from Tarara was really good. Some of their wines were good, and we came home w/2 bottles.

How many people were picking? Was it orderly? When we did it last year there must have been 2-3 dozen people, and when we went out to the asparagus patch and let loose, it was like a gold rush, or Oklahoma land claim when everyone ran to find their "plot of green!"

It was picked for us, so I can't answer your questions, but it was the best asparagus I've had, including farmer's markets. I even ate some raw. Yes, i know, I'm strange.

When we go to the blackberry fest and great grape fest (which has apple picking) I'll try and take a break from being a vendor, and pick for myself. Ok, ok, at least at the blackberry fest. :)

I did get some asparagus from the Courthouse farmers mkt today, so we'll see how that compares.

-Jason

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foodgeek

foodgeek

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I was at Churreria Madrid last night in Adams Morgan and saw the flier for this. Unfortunately I can't make it, but thought I'f give you the info.

XIV Feria De Sevilla

Centro Espanol of Washington, DC

Spain's Folk Music

Dances

Art

and FOOD

Sunday, June 6, 2004

Noon to 600:00 p.m.

Fort Reno Park

Chesepeake St. NW (Between Nebraska Ave. and 40th Street)

Behind Fresh Fields. Nearby Metro Station: Tenleytown.

-Jason

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