I was lucky enough to spend the past summer in LA, and there were some awesome food and drink events going on while I was here. Not only did Smorgasburg start downtown, but I got a chance to go to different food festivals like the LA Food Festival and the LA Taco Festival. The summer is winding down, but thankfully there are plenty of fall food events to look forward to. Here are some of my favorites:
1. EAT Show 2016 - October 1st; 12PM-9PM
The EAT Show prides itself on being a celebration of culinary excellence, and with that comes exclusivity. With a limited number of tickets, you'll want to buy a ticket before they are all gone.
The EAT Show has a lunch session from 12 pm-3 pm and a dinner session from 6 pm-9 pm. Choose one for $50 and get to taste from over 50 vendors and enjoy the open bar.
2. Taste of Italy - October 1st; 5PM-10PM
Hosted by The Italian American Museum of Los Angeles, Taste of Italy features over 40 of the best local Italian restaurants, over 100 fine wines, and chef demonstrations. Get a general admission ticket for $60 and you receive six drink tickets and six food tickets.
Or, if you're feeling fancy, splurge on the $125 premiere ticket where you can walk the red carpet for your picture before being greeted with a specialty cocktail, appetizers, and a gift bag, plus extra drink and food tickets.
3. California Avocado Festival - October 7th-9th; Various times
The California Avocado Festival is one of the largest free festivals in California, featuring four live music stages with over 75 music acts. The festival is also home to the largest vat of guacamole, so come hungry.
Also, be sure to try some of their other avocado dishes, such as the avocado shrimp cocktail or the avocado ice cream.
4. Dessert Week - October 15th; 1PM-10PM
Dessert Week features the top 25 voted dessert places in Los Angeles, including Susie Cakes and the Ice Cream Lab. From Sunday October 9th to Friday October 14th, all participating 25 dessert places will have special deals for customers. Then the week culminates into the main event on Saturday, where all the vendors will have desserts for festival-goers to taste or buy.
The festival also features a beer garden, live music, games, and a pie eating contest. Pre-sale tickets start at $15 so get them while you can, or show up at Pershing square on Saturday and get a ticket at the door.
5. DTLA Oktoberfest - October 22nd-23rd; 12PM-8PM
Admission to the DTLA Oktoberfest is free, so go and enjoy the live music and dancing! Beer tastings start at $15 for a flight, and the first 500 purchasers will receive a souvenir pint glass. They will also be serving sausages, pretzels, and desserts to help soak up the beer.
6. Artisanal LA - October 22nd-23; 11AM-6PM
While not just a food show, Artisanal LA has been one of my favorite food-related events I've attended in LA this past year. Their events feature local food, craft, and urban gardening artisans from LA.
This upcoming fall show has a new, less-expensive price of $10 for admission, plus free readmission for Sunday if you choose to come back. They have fun workshops like learning how to propagate a succulent and cooking classes.
The event offers over 200 artisans and chefs, a local artist gallery, acoustic music and a café to take a break at. If you eat meat, I especially recommend trying the bacon jerky from Banzai Jerky.
7. LA Beer Fest - November 12th; 12PM-4PM
Not only does admission include beer tastings of over 200 options, but also the proceeds go to a charity that helps rescue dogs, so you can't go wrong buying a ticket.
General admission is $45 for four hours of beer tasting while listening to live bands, a DJ and trying out the food trucks. For just $10 more, you can get the VIP package for an extra hour of tasting the speciality beers.
8. Malibu Wine Movie Nights - Various dates and times
Almost once a week, Malibu Wines has a movie night. The only catch? You have to buy a bottle of wine. I'm especially anticipating their Hocus Pocus movie and wine night on October 7th to kick off the Halloween season. Check out their calendar for other fun events coming up as well, like paint and wine nights or brunch trivia.