New Jersey Best Food and Drink Festivals 

Atlantic City Food, Wine & Beer Festivals

​

​Atlantic City Beer & Music Festival: March

​

The largest beer festival on the East Coast takes place annually at the Atlantic City Convention Center, drawing over 15,000 attendees across multiple sessions. More than 150 breweries, including local favorites like Cape May Brewing Company, Flying Fish, and Dogfish Head, offer unlimited tastings of their craft beers, ciders, and seltzers. The festival's culinary offerings feature food trucks and vendors serving everything from gourmet sliders and tacos to wood-fired pizza and locally sourced seafood. Past musical headliners have included Alkaline Trio, New Found Glory, and The Bouncing Souls, with three stages hosting both national acts and regional bands throughout the weekend.

Unique features include a silent disco, a gaming area with oversized beer pong and cornhole tournaments, and a "Beer-Cation" education zone where attendees can learn about brewing processes and beer styles from industry experts. The festival maintains a strong focus on supporting regional brewers, with nearly half of the participating breweries coming from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

​

Downbeach Seafood Festival: September

​

At Bader Field, Ski Beach, where Atlantic City's salt air blends with the aroma of freshly steamed shellfish, thousands of seafood enthusiasts gather for one of New Jersey's largest coastal food events, the Downbeach Seafood Festival. More than 50 vendors, including local favorites like Knife & Fork Inn, Doc's Oyster House, and Vegans Are Us, showcase their culinary talents with offerings ranging from traditional lobster rolls to innovative seafood fusion dishes. Festival-goers can enjoy craft beer selections from local breweries, including Cape May Brewing Company and Glasstown Brewing, while live performances from regional bands like The Wayside Shakeup and Secret Service keep the atmosphere lively throughout the weekend.

Over this 2 day festival it typically draws upwards of 5,000 visitors who can participate in the popular crab cake eating contest or watch professional chefs demonstrate their skills at the cooking pavilion. Interactive experiences include a touch tank exhibit from the Atlantic City Aquarium where visitors can handle local marine life, and a dedicated kids' zone featuring face painting and nautical-themed crafts. The waterfront venue provides stunning views of the Atlantic City skyline, while the festival's arrangement of heated tents ensures comfort regardless of weather conditions.

​

Uncorked Atlantic City Wine Festival: March

​

Wine enthusiasts gathered for one of New Jersey's most distinctive tasting events at Jersey City's Liberty Science Center. The Uncorked Atlantic City Wine Festival transformed the interactive museum's expansive spaces into sophisticated sampling areas featuring over 50 selected wineries offering tastings of 100's of varieties, from local Garden State vintners to international wine estates like Castello del Poggio and Josh Cellars. Local restaurants and food artisans served gourmet pairings ranging from artisanal cheeses to fresh seafood appetizers and chocolate truffles, while guests explored the unique setting surrounded by museum exhibits.

Live jazz performers and acoustic guitarists provided elegant background music throughout the venue while guests explored specialized areas including a champagne lounge and craft beer garden. Professional sommeliers led educational seminars on wine appreciation, regional wine characteristics, and food pairing techniques in the museum's learning spaces. The festival's signature experience included a VIP early access hour, allowing guests to enjoy exclusive reserve tastings and one-on-one conversations with winemakers before the main event began.