Jamaican Jerk Festival

Set in the incredible and manicured 50-acre gardens of this English country estate you’d be hard pressed to find a better setting then Sandon Spring Fair for a food and craft weekend in April. Of course there might be some travel involved. Just 45 minutes out of London (7h 45min from NYC) the grounds transform into a global street food cornucopia and a craft market featuring artisans from all over the isle. If a reprieve is necessary, afternoon tea is quintessentially available inside the majestic, 162 year old hall itself. While inside make sure to explore a little and enjoy the beauty of the building but be careful the Harrowby family still operates part of it as their home.

You’ve heard the names Joey Chesnut and Kobayashi for years. Their world series is pounding down hot dogs in the bottom of the BK on July 4th for Nathan’s 2016 Hot Dog Eating Contest. You should go watch it. It looks something like the above just live and in crazy motion. I promise you’ve never seen people eat food this fast. I’d suggest getting yourself a dog prior to the madness because after you see how they dip and slurp those poor wieners you might be of mind to skip the Nathan’s famous. Good news is, there is plenty more to do down in Coney Island pre and post eat off. Make a day. Hang old school Brooklyn style. 12 noon on July 4th in Brooklyn.

NYC has more food festivals than stomach space. Sometimes it’s hard to pick the one that will not only be tasty but be manageable. We’re not promising elbow room but with 50+ restaurants curated from all boroughs, the ninth annual Village Voice Choice Eats is one you should attend. Start those stomach aerobics, down some kombucha and grab tickets before they are gone. They sold out last year. Friday, March 11th @ Metropolitan Pavilion from 6-10pm.

Everybody loves a young gun. You know, those underdogs that are full of hustle and grind. The ones that have everything to prove but nothing to lose. Back in my MadMen days the Young Guns were Art Directors putting out the best creative they could muster. This isn’t that different in the “best” and “creative” departments. The plus up is, you can eat all this creativity. The Eater Young Guns Summit is set up to showcase, educate and head-to-head some of the best up-and-comers in the biz. Paired with some snacks by the likes of Pies and Thighs, King David Tacos and a handful of others the programming is top notch tasty. A roster of conversations are also part of the day. Amy Sedaris, Alison Roman, Marcus Samuelsson, Michael Solomonov and Ruby Tandoh will be doing some soap boxing on the future of dining and restaurant culture and most likely eating along side you. Saturday, July 27 from 10:30am – 7:00pm in Brooklyn.