Brooklyn NY Best Food and Drink Festivals
Food, Wine, Spirits and Beer Festivals listed also include surrounding areas that host signature events.
Smorgasburg Breeze Hill
April - October
Margarita Rumble
May
Brooklyn Brew Fest
May
Smash Burger Festival
May
New York Rum Festival
June
Brooklyn Wine Fest
June
Brooklyn Night Market
July
Brooklyn Summer Beer, Wine & Spirits Fest
August
One Bite Pizza Festival
September
Brooklyn Pig Island Festival
September
Taste of Brooklyn
September
Brooklyn Whiskey Festival
September
Zum Schneider Oktoberfest
September
Food Network Wine & Food Festival Brooklyn
October
Blue Moon Burger Bash
October
The Great Gatsby
October
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Chocolate, Wine & Whiskey Festival
December
Brooklyn's Best Food and Drink Events: A Guide to the Borough's Best Food, Wine, Spirits and Beer Festivals
Brooklyn, the cultural melting pot of New York City, isn't just about hipster coffee shops and artisanal boutiques – it's a haven for foodies and beverage enthusiasts alike. Here's a tantalizing glimpse into the best gatherings for your taste buds.
Brooklyn Wine Festivals:
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Chocolate, Wine & Whiskey Festival: December
This premier spirits gathering in New York brings together local artisans and globally recognized brands for a day of decadent tastings. The Industry City Building hosts over 40 vendors showcasing their finest chocolates, wines, and whiskeys to approximately 2,000 attendees throughout multiple sessions. Notable participants include Li-Lac Chocolates, Brooklyn's oldest chocolate maker, alongside Widow Jane Distillery and Brotherhood Winery, America's oldest continuously operating winery.
Guests can sample artisanal truffles, single-origin chocolate bars, craft bourbon flights, and carefully curated wine selections while enjoying live jazz performances by local musicians. A special chocolate-making demonstration area allows visitors to watch master chocolatiers at work, creating intricate confections using traditional techniques. The festival features a dedicated craft cocktail section where mixologists create unique chocolate-infused drinks using spirits from participating distilleries.
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Brooklyn Wine Fest: June
Wine enthusiasts gather with over 50 global wineries and local New York vintners at the Brooklyn Navy Yard for the Brooklyn Wine Fest. Live DJ sets and acoustic performances create an energetic atmosphere as guests sample more than 200 different wine varieties, from crisp Finger Lakes Rieslings to bold Bordeaux blends. The festival's VIP lounge offers private masterclasses with sommeliers and early access to limited-production wines, while the main floor hosts interactive workshops on wine appreciation and food pairing techniques. Averaging 3,000 attendees per day, the event has become a cornerstone of Brooklyn's culinary scene, attracting both wine enthusiasts and industry professionals.
A dedicated spirits section showcases local craft distilleries, while pop-up art installations and a curated marketplace featuring wine accessories and local artisanal products round out the experience. This festival also features exclusive tastings from notable producers like Brotherhood Winery, Wolffer Estate, and Bedell Cellars, alongside artisanal food pairings from Brooklyn-based vendors.
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Brooklyn Beer Festivals:
Brooklyn Brew Fest: May
A remarkable collection of craft beer artisans gathered at the historic Brooklyn Navy Yard, transforming the industrial space into a celebration of brewing mastery. The Brooklyn Brew Fest showcased 100 different craft beers, with local favorites like Brooklyn Brewery, Other Half, and Grimm Artisanal Ales pouring alongside regional standouts from across the Northeast. Food vendors lined the spacious waterfront venue, serving artisanal pretzels, gourmet tacos, and beer-infused treats designed to complement the diverse beer selection. Local indie bands provided the soundtrack for the day, with performances echoing through the yard's distinctive architecture.
Interactive demonstrations from master brewers offered attendees insights into the brewing process, while the VIP section featured exclusive barrel-aged releases and limited small-batch offerings. The festival's waterfront location provided stunning Manhattan skyline views, with outdoor seating areas and lawn games creating a relaxed atmosphere for the thousands of beer enthusiasts in attendance.
Brooklyn Food Festivals:
One Bite Pizza Festival: September
A first-of-its-kind pizza festival emerged in Brooklyn, giving pizza lovers a taste of some of America's most talked-about pies at the The One Bite Pizza Festival. Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports and host of "One Bite Pizza Reviews," brought together 35 of the highest-rated pizzerias, including Prince Street Pizza, Grimaldi's, and L&B Spumoni Gardens, to serve their signature slices to over 8,500 attendees at The Brooklyn Army Terminal. Festival-goers sampled unique offerings like the spicy spring slice from Prince Street Pizza and Grimaldi's classic Margherita, while enjoying craft beers from local breweries and specialty cocktails.
The musical lineup featured DJ sets from Zedd and Diplo, creating an energetic atmosphere throughout the day-long event. Live pizza-making demonstrations, pizza-themed photo opportunities, and an attempt to break the world record for the largest pizza party added interactive elements to the celebration. The festival's VIP experience included exclusive access to shorter lines, a private lounge area, and meet-and-greet opportunities with Dave Portnoy himself..
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Smorgasburg: Sundays at Breeze Hill (April through October)
This sprawling open-air food market has transformed Sundays in Brooklyn's Prospect Park at Breeze Hill into a culinary destination drawing over 20,000 weekly visitors. Smorgasburg features more than 60 carefully selected food vendors offering an impressive array of global cuisine, from Bon Chovie's crispy fried anchovies to Red Hook Lobster Pound's fresh seafood rolls to Dough's artisanal doughnuts. The market showcases both established local restaurants and up-and-coming food entrepreneurs, with many vendors using it as a launching pad for successful brick-and-mortar locations.
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While focusing primarily on food, the festival includes several craft beverage vendors serving local beers, creative cocktails, and small-batch sodas in a designated drinking area. The market provides ample seating with picnic tables scattered throughout the grounds, along with lawn space where visitors can spread blankets while enjoying skyline views of Manhattan. Notable features include a zero-waste initiative with compostable serving ware, free water stations, and pop-up cooking demonstrations from featured chefs.
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Taste of Brooklyn: September
This annual culinary celebration unites more than 40 of Brooklyn's most beloved restaurants and beverage purveyors at the Brooklyn Bridge Park. The Taste of Brooklyn showcases signature dishes from iconic establishments like Junior's Restaurant, Grimaldi's Pizzeria, and Peter Luger Steakhouse, alongside craft beers from Brooklyn Brewery and Other Half Brewing. More than 10,000 food enthusiasts attend each year to sample everything from classic New York cheesecake and wood-fired pizzas to artisanal chocolates and locally-distilled spirits.
Live performances by Brooklyn-based bands The National and Sharon Van Etten create a vibrant atmosphere as attendees explore the waterfront venue. The event highlights the borough's diverse culinary heritage with specialized zones including a BBQ pit section, seafood row, and an international street food market. Festival features include live cooking demonstrations by local chefs, an artisanal marketplace showcasing Brooklyn-made products, and stunning views of the Manhattan skyline serving as a picturesque backdrop.
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Brooklyn Spirits Festivals:
New York Rum Festival: June
In the heart of Brooklyn, the borough's largest celebration of rum and Caribbean culture attracts more than 1,500 enthusiasts each autumn to the Brooklyn Expo Center. Over 40 premium rum vendors including Mount Gay, Diplomatico, and Zacapa showcase their finest spirits through tastings and educational demonstrations. Local Caribbean restaurants serve authentic dishes like jerk chicken, plantains, and seafood dishes while mixologists create signature cocktails. Steel drum bands and reggae performers, including the renowned Jah People Band, provide a vibrant soundtrack throughout the day-long event.
Festival highlights include rum-making workshops, cocktail competitions between NYC's top bartenders, and a VIP tasting room featuring rare and limited-edition rums. The event transforms the 60,000-square-foot industrial space into a tropical paradise complete with palm trees, Caribbean art installations, and multiple tasting pavilions.​
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Brooklyn is a tapestry of flavors, and these festivals offer a front-row seat to the borough's fine food and drink events. Whether you're a food lover, wine connoisseur, beer enthusiast, or spirits aficionado, there's a festival in Brooklyn waiting to delight your senses.