If you’ve attended any food events in the past, you’ve learned a few things. You
usually need to carry everything, walk a good distance to the festival from your
transportation, and be prepared for whatever the weather brings. Here’s a
compilation of tips I’ve learned over the years of going to food, wine,
cocktail, and beer events along with links to past posts about it.
A
sling for your glass means your hands are free to stuff your face.
General Tips
1.
Wear comfortable shoes.
You'll be walking from where you parked to the festival, and all over the
festival.
2.
Sunblock.
Sunblock. Sunblock. And sunblock. UV rays don’t discriminate when you’re
eating foie gras.
3. If you must wear a dress or a skirt,
make sure it has some structure and substance
so it doesn't get blown around. The wind was causing some free peep shows.
4.
Neti-pot
(with distilled or boiled water) when you get home. Festivals are usually
outdoor, and they can get quite dusty. Your sinus will thank you.
5.
Phone charger.
Also bring a
portable charger
if you can. You don’t want to be glued to an outlet. Keep it in a
plastic bag big enough for your phone and camera in case it rains.
6. Bring your own
fork and spoon,
because you might need your own when the disposables run out. Bring your own
glass sling
too. Instructions here:
http://misohungrynow.blogspot.com/2013/04/make-your-own-wine-or-beer-sling-for.html
7.
ID.
Even if you look like you’re 85 years old, TABC could be watching. No one wants
trouble with TABC so bring your license and don’t pitch a fit if you’re required
to show it.
8.
A designated driver.
You can destroy your own liver, but please don’t destroy another person’s life.
9.
Cash.
While many vendors may take credit cards onsite, cell service can be spotty at
large events. Cash is king.
10.
Your manners.
Don’t piss off people. Don’t be rude. Everyone here wants to have fun,
including the volunteers.
11.
Drink water.
And more water. And then more water.
12. Benadryl and
band-aids. You never know when you or someone at the festival will
have an allergic reaction to food or insect bites. I always carry benadryl,
just in case. And you never know when you're going to need a band-aid for
a blister, burn, or cut.
12. If
Franklin's is at the festival,
run to the line first. RUN! RUN! RUN!
Nothing more satisfying than a man and his meat. Get your head out of the
gutter.
1. Bring an
umbrella to New Orleans
if you don’t want to get wet. It rains almost everyday.
2. Bring some
pretzels or a turkey leg on your neck
for Great American Beer Festival. Unless you are going to a food event, you
will need food reserves. There are food vendors inside with limited selection.
I would bring my own vittles.
This
man is simply awesome. Turkey leg necklaces are a must for the ultimate
beer loving carnivore.
1.
Unless you have a VIP pass, it might be wise to wait until the last hour of the
grand tasting.
During the VIP period, it was pretty tame. However, during general admission,
it could get a little squishy. If you wait until after most of the crowd had
eaten their fill, the tents started to clear out.
2.
Arrive very early to the cooking demos.
The lines can start as far as an hour in advance.
3. Bring a bag
big enough to carry all the books and swag that you'll collect. They
do give you a resuable tote bag, but it does get difficult to carry. I
bring my own sling or shoulder strap style bag.
The cooking demo line for Qui Ingredients at
the 2013 Austin Food and
Wine Festival.
1.
Helmet.
This might seem odd. There are many bikers (the motorcycle kind) out in West
Texas. You’ll never know when you need one for a ride on a Harley.
2.
Boots.
This is mandatory dress code for West Texas. Boots.
Boots
are a must.
Brewery Events
1. Chair.
If you can’t stand for long periods of time, bring a chair. The brewery most
likely will not have any.
2.
Snacks.
And sometimes there is no food provided at brewery open houses, though it is
becoming less common. You might find a food truck or two, but selection is usually limited. Pack a power bar, banana, apple, or some crackers.
Wish
you were Beer.....at Big Bend Brewing
Company in Alpine, TX.
Dog Friendly Festivals
1. Dog on leash.
Do NOT bring your dog off-leash. I’ve been to so many festivals where dogs are
running the street because the owners are too busy doing something else. The
leash is for safety. Use it. No one wants to leave a festival early because
their dog got hurt.
2. Water + drinking bowl.
I bring a water jug with a shoulder strap for my dogs because they drink
directly out of the jug. Dogs need water throughout the day as well.
3.
Poop bags.
Nature calls. Clean it up. No one wants to step in dog poop. Or human poop
either. Keep a diaper on the babies.
4. Snacks.
If you’re out and about for a long period of time, bring snacks for the
puppies. If you can’t go eight hours without food, why should your dog go
without food. I also bring treats for my dogs because I use every outing as a
training session.
5. Your dog’s manners.
No one likes cranky people, and no one likes rude dogs. Please train your dog
how to behave appropriately in public before bringing it out to play.
This
durable $10 dress gave me the freedom to shuck 450 oysters at
Viva Big Bend and run around.
And it was machine washable. Get over here and have an oyster!
Working festivals:
If you’ve worked a food festival, there requires just a little more.
1. Prepare your stomach in advance.
You may not get to eat as you’ll probably get caught up in work and forget to
eat.
You might have to eat after midnight after clean up.
2.
Wear something that is durable and machine washable.
You might be hauling 50 lb cases of raw seafood or have someone drop a bowl of
salsa on you. If it wasn’t totally out of theme with the event, I might even
consider wearing workout gear. You might be getting a serious one.
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