Have Some Fun at 2015’s Food and Drink Festivals

Have Some Fun at 2015’s Food and Drink Festivals

Whether you’re a food, beer or wine lover, there are some great offerings out there in the coming months. Food and drink festivals are being held all across New York state, and here are seven that we recommend you to check out! All are accessible via Amtrak’s fine, scenic routes: 

Montreal Beer Fest 

22nd Annual Montreal Beer Fest (takes place at Montreal Convention Center, 0.5 miles from Montreal Amtrak): Beer lovers and professional brewers will commence from June 10-14 this year at the Montreal Beer Festival. Not only will there be beer tastings, but workshops will be held where attendees can learn the art of beer brewing. Founded in 1994, this event is a hallmark of the brewing industry in Quebec and its success has led to similar showcases in Rio de Janeiro and Europe. Admission to the event itself is free, but the samplings of beer go at a rate of one dollar per ounce. 

NYC Bourbon Bash (takes place in multiple locations in NYC, you can get to all of them via Penn Station Amtrak): On June 13, at eight different bars, you can enjoy the best bourbon the Big Apple has to offer hopefully without blacking out! For $65, you can also indulge in great food and rock out to great music. A portion of all the proceeds go to various non-profit and charitable organizations. Tickets are to be ordered online and you must check in from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm sharp. The event goes on until 10:00 pm.

Saratoga Brewfest 

Saratoga Brewfest (located at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds, 6.6 miles from the Saratoga Springs Amtrak): Also on June 13, the Saratoga Brewfest will showcase some of the best local, regional and national craft beers along with great live music. More than 75 breweries are expected to participate with over 250 brews available to taste in samples. The event will also feature speakers from the craft brew industry. The festivities go on from 2:00 pm-5:00 pm, but VIPs can enjoy from 1:00 pm-5:00 pm. General admission tickets are $45 in advance and $55 at the door, while VIPs get in for $60. 

Empire Brew Fest

World of Beer Empire Brew Fest 2015 (takes place in the Chevy Court at the New York State Fairgrounds, 4.1 miles from the Syracuse Amtrak): For its 2015 outing, going from June 26th to 27th this year, this annual festival returns to Syracuse with more brewers and craft beers to go around. There will also be a Cornhole Tournament and interactive games which will test your knowledge of craft beer in addition to Giant Jenga and Giant Scrabble games for groups of friends to enjoy together! For those who are not big beer connoisseurs, there is a wine festival this year as well attached to the annual festivities. Admission breaks down like this: all day samplings are $35, the pay as you go rate is $10, and the designated driver rate is $5.

Little Falls Cheese Festival (takes place in the historic West End of Little Falls, NY, 21.6 miles from Utica Amtrak): On July 11, the scenic town of Little Falls, NY will host its annual festival showcasing delicious cheeses of all kinds. Plenty of other related products will be on hand as well, including yogurt, artisanal breads, jams and handcrafted cutting boards. Local restaurants will also be participating in a competition for the best pizza, which is the town specialty. Live music will be there, and just added is a one-act mystery play entitled “Where’s the Cheese?” performed by the town’s theater company. Admission is free, and you can call Utica Enterprise for pickup from the station to the event at (315) 736-0002.

Bounty of the Hudson Wine and Food Festival (takes place at Benmarl Winery, 11.2 miles outside the Poughkeepsie Amtrak): From July 25-26, you can sample some of the Hudson Valley Region’s finest wines and produce from local restaurants. All fourteen wineries located in the Shawangunk Wine Trail are participating this year. Along with the wines, visitors can sample local cheese, honey and baked goods while listening to some great live music. Admission is $28 and your ticket will cover the samplings from each of the wineries, the live music, and a souvenir Shawangunk Wine Trail glass. There are bus and taxi services at the station. 

Buffalo Wing Festival 

The National Buffalo Wing Festival (takes place at the Coca-Cola Field in Buffalo, .2 miles from the Buffalo-Exchange Street Amtrak Station): This festival is known as the Super Bowl for the chicken wing industry, with total attendance of over 865,000 people and 4.5 million wings served since it began in 2002. This year it will take place from September 5-6. Participating restaurants showcase their wing sauces in a competition for best sauce known as the National Sauce-Off. Other competitions include the United States Buffalo Wing Eating Championship, the Baby Wing Contest, the Amateur Wing Sauce Competition, the XXXHot Wing Eating Contest, and bobbing for wings in a bowl of blue cheese. All weekend there will also be live music and trivia contests. Admission is $5 per day, but children under 8 get in for free. Tickets are available for purchase at the gate.

There’s food and fun for everyone this year! So come on down and dive into some of the best in food and drink that each of these locations has to offer. You can get to each one of them through Amtrak , and as always, you can look into our discounts for additional savings, including our 15% discount courtesy of ILOVENY. For any other inquiries, visit the New York By Rail website.