Caribbean Food and Wine Experience Worth Traveling For
Do you love trying new food and having fresh food experiences? If you answered yes, then you must visit food festivals in the Caribbean. Of course, it’s more convenient if the festivals are near you but trust us, these food festivals in the Caribbean region are absolutely worth traveling for. As soon as you take a bite into the delectable morsels, you’ll wish you had visited each of these festivals in previous years. Check out some of the best food festivals around the Caribbean that will be worth traveling for. Don't worry; each festival is broken down, so you know exactly what you'll encounter there.
Check out the Cayman Cookout
This festival will be held in January from the 13-17 in 2022. Eric Ripert hosts this food festival at the Ritz-Carlton in Grand Cayman. This festival is having its 13th year in 2022.
What you can expect:
Talented chefs worldwide, influencers in the food community, and wine/drink experts can be found here. Taste test your way through the available food and drink items while watching cooking demos from your favorite expert chefs.
Where to stay here
Spend the Weekend at Saborea Puerto Rico
This food festival lasts a full weekend and has different events throughout. This year, the event landed on June 5-6. This event is hosted at Vivo Beach Club. This is the 12th year of this food festival.
What you can expect:
Grab a glass of bubbly and enjoy local dishes during the first event of the weekend – Bubbles and Bites. Then, taste food created by 20 well-known local chefs at the Saborea Culinary Stars Dinner. Finish the weekend with the Beachside Gastronomic Experience.
Where to stay here
Visit the St. Croix Food and Wine Experience
This event is held in April each year and lasts for four days. The St. Croix Food and Wine Experience was started in 2001 and has run every year since. This festival was started by two local restaurant owners – Kelly Odom and Katherine Pugliese.
What you can expect:
This festival was created to honor the St. Croix food and how the style and flavor vary from dish to dish. Each day, a different restaurant or location is featured for this food festival. You can taste food in an intimate setting in a private home or taste test wine in a warehouse. It’s always a surprise at this festival.
Where to stay here
See the Curacao Culinair
This year, the festival is running from April 3-4. You can find this event at Luis Chobolobo on Curacao in Selina. This is the fifth year this event has been run.
What you can expect:
You’ll be able to taste all the different foods at this event. It’s characterized as an event for "everyone who enjoys good food and good drinks." The only requirement is that you have a valid ticket.
Where to stay here
Check Out the Festival Del Mar Anguilla
This event is in its twelfth year and was created to celebrate the sea. It’s held at Island Harbor each year.
What you can expect:
When stopping by here, you can expect the smell of fried Johnny Cakes to waft into your nose. There is also live music, grilled lobsters, and games of dominos being played. Stay to watch the boat racing. You’ll be entertained from morning to evening.
Where to stay here
Sprint to the Grenada Chocolate Festival
There is not a chocolate festival that is not worth traveling for. This festival is held from July 23-28 this year. This festival is held in Grenada – not surprisingly since it is known as the Chocolate Island of the Caribbean.
What you can expect:
This festival features all chocolate-based items, so this festival is not for you if you’re not a chocolate lover. You can explore cocoa plantations in the forest, learn about the history of chocolate in Grenada, make your chocolate, and of course, taste test delicious chocolate treats.
There are many different available activities at this festival that will keep you busy. Try making your chocolate beauty products and try foods that incorporate chocolate into them. If you love these chocolate-themed foods, you can learn how to include them in dishes you would eat for lunch or dinner.
Where to stay here
Head to the Belize Cashew Festival and Agriculture Show
Photo: Travel Belize
This event is held in May every year in Belize. This festival lasts two days long and is held in Crooked Tree Village. Are you a cashew lover? This is the perfect event for you. Chefs and cashew farmers gather to show off cashew-based items. This is one of the most popular activities in the area. It draws in people from all over each year.
What you can expect:
You’ll see anything from live entertainment and music here to contests and fresh fruit/vegetables. Try the cashew-inspired food dishes and cashew wine. If you really love cashew wine, enter yourself into the cashew wine-drinking contest and see how you do against your competitors.
Where to stay here
Enjoy the Bahamas Pineapple Festival
The Bahamas Pineapple Festival is held annually on the Bahamas Labor Day Weekend – in June. It is held in Gregory Town each year.
What you can expect:
People from all over also travel to this festival. Live music from a local artist, pineapple contests, and fire dancing are all to be expected here. There is both a cooking and eating contest – try your luck at either or observe and enjoy the entertainment. It’s sure to be a fun-filled time at this event.
Where to stay here
Travel to the Nevis Mango and Food Festival
Photo: nevismangofest Instgram
The Nevis Mango and Food Festival lasts one weekend and features celebrity chefs from around the world. Do you love mangos? If so, this is the perfect festival for you. The festival runs from July 2 – July 4 this year.
What you can expect:
A UK Iron Chef and a Nevis celebrity chef are featured at this year’s festival. There are events planned all weekend long. Of course, you can expect live music and food tasting. All food created over the weekend is required to feature the Nevis mango in some fashion.
Where to stay here
Visit the Tobago Blue Food Festival
Have you ever been to a festival that is dedicated to one particular vegetable? You can say that you have after heading to the Tobago Blue Food Festival. The whole festival revolves around Taro (aka blue food). This is the food festival to visit for foodies as it has been highly rated as one of the world’s best food festivals by CNN.
What you can expect:
This festival has been around since 1997 and has become an island-wide event since then. Chefs create dishes, desserts, and even drinks out of Taro. The best recipes are awarded prizes at this festival every year. This festival has even inspired a recipe book.
Where to stay here
Eat at Jamaica Food and Drink Festival
This festival is held in November every year and draws foodies in from around the world. Chefs create dishes from around the world at this event.
What you can expect:
Each day there is a specific restaurant that two chefs will be creating dishes from. This goes on for about five days. One such restaurant this year is B-Box – you’ll find burgers with a twist here. There will be live entertainment each day.
Where to stay here
Enjoy Barbados Food and Rum Festival
Head to Barbados for tastes of drinks and food that will make your mouth water. There are events and taste tests of food all around the festival.
What you can expect:
Taste test different local dishes around the festival. You can also catch a game of polo during the day. Make sure to taste the seafood dishes – you’ll find things like lobster and fish here. Yum!
Where to stay here
Experience Kreol Food and Rhum
This festival revolves around Gastronomy food and runs every year in October. You can even find Michelin star chefs here. How exciting!
What you can expect:
Chefs from the Caribbean, Canada, and France head to Martinique for this festival. The goal is for the chefs to use the local ingredients to create delicious masterpieces. Local rums will be available from Martinique for tastings.
Where to stay here
Head to the BVI Food Fete
This festival is held during November of each year and lasts for a month. You’ll find this delightful event in the British Virgin Islands.
What you can expect:
Lots of food – each meal provided at the event will have three courses served at a fixed price. This is a great way to try different local restaurants on a budget. The courses include one dish inspired by BVI. Learn about the British Virgin Islands through the cuisine.
Where to stay here
Take a Trip to the Caribbean Food and Wine Festival
Photo: Turks and Caicos Islands
Check out this festival held in Turks and Caicos each year. This is the sixth year this festival is running, and it continues to gain popularity every year that passes.
What you can expect:
This event features James Beard Award-winning chefs and nominees. Try out foods from each chef, and don’t forget to check out the wine and rum pairings that go along with each dish. Listen to live music as you enjoy the food – you’ll also be able to see traditional garb here during performances.
Where to stay here
Summing it up
There are many options throughout the year for food festivals in the Caribbean. The themes range from specific food items to local foods. Each food festival holds its own appeal. Of course, traveling for excellent food is always worth it. Try heading to each of them and see which one is your favorite.
