One of the best parts about traveling is exploring the art, food and culture in places you are less familiar with. Sure, you can roam around almost any city and find visually stunning works of art and delicious local bites, but sometimes it’s nice to have everything more centrally located. Cue our list of can’t-miss art, food and wine festivals around the world:
1. Art Basel
Art Basel isn’t just one giant art fair, but three across the globe at different times of the year. The annual events take place in Basel, Hong Kong, and Miami Beach. Each event is designed not only for galleries to sell work to collectors, curators and others in the art world, but also an international audience of art lovers.
Slated for June 15-18, Art Basel in Switzerland will showcase modern and contemporary art throughout 291 galleries from 34 countries. The Miami Beach event will take place in December and the Hong Kong event is scheduled for March 2018.
2. Melbourne Food & Wine Festival
Held over two weeks in March, this Australian food and wine festival has been around for two decades already. The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival hosts around 250 tastings and events and more than 200 wine education programs to engage everyone from beginners to sommeliers.
“Other highlights include the World's Longest Lunch (a Melbourne chef prepares a wine-paired lunch for some 900 people at a 1,300-foot table) and the Langham Melbourne MasterClass, in which more than 100 chefs and wine experts share information about international vintages and foods,” shares Travel Channel.
3. New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, or Jazz Fest for short, is not just for jazz lovers, and it’s not even just one weekend. The “10-day cultural feast” is scheduled for the last weekend in April and the first weekend in May at the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
More than 400,000 attendees show up over the two weekends to sample tons of music genres, cuisines, and crafts that encompass the wide array of styles of the city and its people. The festival is the perfect combination of music, food, and the rich culture of New Orleans. Beyond the 12 music stages, New Orleanians and Jazz Festers alike know that a lot happens outside of the festival as well, including some big names in music playing late night shows. See the full lineup and buy tickets at nojazzfest.com.
4. Taste of Chicago
As the world’s largest food festival, Taste of Chicago naturally highlights diversity of the city’s food scene. Happening the first week of July, the outdoor festival will attract more than a million attendees. Admission is also free and you simply pay for what you want to eat and drink once inside.
“Taste wouldn’t be complete without the reliably humongo portion of pad thai from Star of Siam and a slice of deep-dish from Lou Malnati’s, but organizers have taken care the past few years to introduce new options too,” writes the Chicago Tribune. They also shared that barbecue is always a good idea, where to get the best Puerto Rican sandwich, and the must have treats to help you cool off in the summertime. Click here for the full Chicago Tribune review of the 2016 festival.
New Orleans is host to many unique festivals and events throughout the entire calendar year. With so many options, it’s hard to sort through them all, so Astrid Solo Travel Advisor compiled a list of recommendations for the most solo-friendly New Orleans happenings in 2019: