Keene Pumpkin Festival has taken the #1 spot in our Best Specialty Food Festival contest. If you think it's the approach of fall that influenced our readers, or a love of Charlie Brown's 'Great Pumpkin' then you haven't been to Keene, New Hampshire for this mind-blowing Americana event.
Keene's charming, historic downtown becomes a multi-generational hub for all things warm and fuzzy, as families enjoy thousands of creatively-lit and cleverly-carved pumpkins on display; pumpkin treats; fireworks and many fun surprises. Patrons call it "amazing and beautiful" and evenings are, of course, when the real magic happens. Cheers to Keene for creating such a memorable event!
Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, took 2nd Place with its Mushroom Festival, followed by Traverse City, Michigan's popular National Cherry Festival. The Whoopie Pie Festival in Strasburg, Pennsvlvania took 4th with our readers, and beautiful Bayfield, Wisconsin, on the hilly shores of Lake Superior, secured 5th with votes for the Bayfield Apple Festival.
The other five winners are coast-to-coast and even beyond. Last weekend's Hatch Chile Festival worked voters into enough of a frenzy that the smell of roasted chiles has also permeated the winners list.
The full list of 10Best Readers' Choice winners in the 'Best Specialty Food Festival' contest category is as follows:
- Keene Pumpkin Festival - Keene, N.H.
- Mushroom Festival - Kennett Square, Pa.
- National Cherry Festival - Traverse City, Mich.
- Whoopie Pie Festival - Strasburg, Pa.
- Bayfield Apple Festival - Bayfield, Wis.
- Louisiana Seafood Festival - New Orleans
- Hatch Chile Festival - Hatch, N.M.
- Kona Coffee Cultural Festival - Kona, Hawaii
- ChocolateFest - Portland, Ore.
- Maine Lobster Festival - Rockland, Maine
Congrats to all our winners!
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The Experts
Eric Grossman
Eric Grossman is a travel and food writer who has... Read More
Eric Grossman is a travel and food writer who has visited more than 50 countries. Always up for an adventure, Eric is constantly searching for new and inspiring experiences, with a keen interest in luxury travel and urban exploration. Memorable experiences have run the gamut from discussing the future of food with Ferran Adrià to sharing a stage with Coldplay.
Eric Grossman

Eric Grossman is a travel and food writer who has visited more than 50 countries. Always up for an adventure, Eric is constantly searching for new and inspiring experiences, with a keen interest in luxury travel and urban exploration. Memorable experiences have run the gamut from discussing the future of food with Ferran Adrià to sharing a stage with Coldplay.