Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR’s Saturday morning newsletter, The Weekender. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
Autumn’s gastronomical delights aren’t just reserved for the farm stand or the state fair (though we can’t argue with a cider donut).
The new season also brings a flurry of food festivals to Greater Boston, with events focused on comfort foods like Fluff and pizza, international spices, local seafood and, of course, beer. Basically, there’s something to satisfy every palette over the next few weekends.
Hungry yet? Then bring your friends, and your appetites: Here are six food festivals coming to Boston, Cambridge and Somerville this fall:
Sept. 19 | What the Fluff? Festival
Union Square, Somerville
Somerville’s iconic festival centered around Fluff — Massachusetts’ homegrown marshmallow spread — is returning for one sweet, sticky afternoon on Saturday, Sept. 19. This year’s theme is “Legally Fluff: A Toast to Union Square,” in honor of the festival’s 21st anniversary, and will feature 36 food and drink vendors serving up Fluff-filled variants of their menu items. The event runs from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and is free to attend.
A “Fluffachusetts” sign displayed at the What the Fluff? Festival in 2018. (Paul Marotta/Getty Images)
Sept. 19-20 | Boston Pizza Festival
City Hall Plaza, Boston
Prefer something a bit more savory? The Boston Pizza Festival is in town the same weekend. With more than 30 participating pizzerias, you’ll have a chance to sample all sorts of slices during the event’s two-day run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at City Hall Plaza. How many you can try, however, depends on the type of ticket you purchase. Basic admission (for one day of the festival) starts at $12.85 including fees, and gets you two slices of pizza. But you can select an “add-on” package for three, five or even 10 additional slices if you’d like to eat more. Click here to view all the ticket options.
Sept. 20 | Boston Local Food Festival
Rose Kennedy Greenway, Boston
Where can you sample locally produced food, catch a cooking demo and watch chefs compete to produce the best seafood dish? The Boston Local Food Festival, of course. The annual event put on by the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts promises nearly 100 vendors from across the region, serving up everything from fresh-caught seafood and oysters to Mexican-style street corn (made with locally grown corncobs) to Maine blueberry crisp. The festival is free to attend, so show up between 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. to get a taste of what’s on the menu.
Sept. 26 | Thai Market at Harvard Square
Harvard Square, Cambridge
Put your food delivery on pause and instead head over to Cambridge for a day filled with spicy, savory bites from Thai chefs. The fall edition of Harvard Square’s Thai Market will feature more than 20 food vendors serving Thai street food, rice dishes, drinks and desserts. There will also be a beer garden, artisan vendors and live music to enjoy. It’s free to attend, and runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. along Brattle Street.
Oct. 3 | Spicetoberfest
City Hall Plaza, Boston
OK, so it’s not Oktoberfest. Spicetoberfest instead focuses on spices (and spicy food) from across the globe. This year’s event will include cuisine from Haiti, Jamaica, India, Ethiopia, Argentina and Colombia, as well as chef demonstrations and a hot sauce challenge that anyone can join. If you need a beverage to go with all that spice, the festival has also added a new 21+ area where you can purchase alcoholic beverages like local cider, wine, mead and craft beer. This event is free to attend — but come prepared. It’s going to be a hot one.
Field Guide to Boston: Discover — and rediscover — your Boston.
Oct. 11 | Harvard Square Oktoberfest
Harvard Square, Cambridge
You can celebrate Oktoberfest at a number of bars, restaurants and breweries in Boston. But if you’re a bit more interested in the “festival” part of the “beer festival,” check out Harvard Square’s family-friendly version of Oktoberfest on Oct. 11. It’s your classic street fair, with live music, sidewalk sales, food booths and beer gardens. There’ll also be an appearance from the HONK! Festival’s brass bands, who will be marching down Mass. Ave. from Davis Square. This party runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (We just don’t suggest driving in, since many streets around the square will be closed.) Cheers!
P.S. — Trying to eat more at home? Bring the season’s flavors to your kitchen with this collection of autumn recipes from Here & Now resident chef Kathy Gunst.
Dining and Cooking