5 incredibly delicious food fests in Mexico

It’s easy to eat well in Mexico. From mouthwatering moles to enticing enchiladas, the country has no shortage of enticing traditional dishes from which to choose. One of the best ways to get a taste of everything is by attending a local food festival. If you’re a foodie who’s heading south of the border, consider planning your trip around one of these mouthwatering festivals in 2017.

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Flickr CC: Kirt Edblom

Sabor a Cabo

Los Cabos boasts a wide variety of restaurants (everything from farm-to-table eateries to inventive sushi spots), and most of them come together to celebrate the local cuisine at this annual festival. Taking place in early December, the outdoor fest features more than 50 booths, with each one serving up bites from specific restaurants within the region. A ticket gets you all-you-can-eat access to the food and free-flowing wine (as well as mezcal tastings). The evening concludes with a concert; past performances have featured Kiss and popular Mexican band Maná. If you attend this festival at the beginning of your trip, then you’ll know which restaurants you’ll definitely want second helpings from during the rest of your vacation.

Cancun-Riviera Maya Wine & Food Festival

The sixth edition of this annual fest takes place in Cancun March 16–19, and features local and international chefs and sommeliers showing off their expertise and skills. Last year’s fest focused on the flavors of Mexico, Spain and France with tastings, cooking classes and celebrity chef appearances taking place in different venues and resorts throughout the region.

Food from Delicioso Micasa | Flickr CC: Charlie Marchant

San Miguel de Allende Food Festival

This festival in San Miguel Allende is one of the biggest food events in the country. The three-day event in mid-July kicks off with a small (but open to the public) gala dinner featuring creations by some of the country’s top chefs. The rest of the fest feels more like a traditional festival, with more than 50 national and international chefs offering tastings at stations throughout the grounds. Local businesses get into the act, as well, with hotels, galleries and shops offering up festival-adjacent programming. San Miguel is becoming quite the foodie destination, as evidenced by “Top Chef” filming one of its recent season finales in this quaint mountain city.

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Holbox Gastronomic Event

The residents of this small—we’re talking a population of 2,000—fishing island (located off the coast of Cancun) really shine during this mid-November festival. The fest, dubbed “Eat, Love and Contemplate,” features three days of local chefs preparing themed samplings in different booths. In the past, one night’s theme was squid, with many chefs using innovative ways to prepare the sea creature. The whole town gets into the act, with local dance troupes and musicians performing throughout the event.

San Felipe Shrimp Festival

We’ll give you one guess what kind of food is the focus here. Local chefs from this Baja California fishing town shine a spotlight on the jumbo blue shrimp from the Sea of Cortez by sharing and sampling local recipes. The street fest (which usually takes place the first weekend of November) also features local shops selling regional goods, live music and more.

Tagged: Mexico