Month of May Dishes Up Delicious Food Festivals in Florida

Tampa, FL — Florida hosts food festivals every weekend during the month of May, so if you enjoy feasting on the fresh taste of local fare while taking in the Florida sunshine, then head out to one of the many events across the state. The hard part is choosing which ones to attend!

Crawfish, blue crab, shrimp, barbecue, chili, tomatoes, watermelon, zucchini, sweet corn, wine, and honey—just a few of the fabulous foods celebrated during May's festivals. For those who crave variety, the "Taste Of" events are sure to please the palate. The adventuresome might want to try the Wild Game Feast in DeLand.

Besides the main attraction—scrumptious food—there's more to entice a novice or seasoned festival-goer. "Florida's food festivals are ideal entertainment for the whole family," writes Joan Steinbacher, author of "Food Fest! Your Complete Guide to Florida's Food Festivals."

Most events feature a wide variety of amusements and activities. Eating contests are popular, as well as off-beat competitions—like the zucchini carving at the Windsor Zucchini Festival. And there's often musical entertainment, arts and crafts, car shows, children's activities, and much more.

May is prime time for Florida's food festival season. Here's a sampling of mouth-watering events coming in May 2007:

* DeLand - Wild Game Feast (May 3)
* Fernandina Beach - Isle Of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival (May 3-6)
* St. Cloud - Smoke 'n Blues BBQ (May 4-5)
* Coral Gables - Biltmore International Food & Wine Weekend (May 4-6)
* Pensacola - Crawfish Creole Fiesta (May 4-6)
* Panacea - Blue Crab Festival (May 5)
* Ruskin - Tomato Festival (May 5-6)
* Naples - Taste of Collier (May 6)
* Mount Dora - Taste of Mount Dora (May 6)
* Fort Lauderdale - Las Olas Wine and Food Festival (May 10)
* Newberry - Watermelon Festival (May 12)
* Gainesville - Windsor Zucchini Festival (May 12)
* New Port Richey - Cotee River Seafood Festival and Boat Show (May 12-13)
* Arcadia - DeSoto County Watermelon Festival (May 19)
* Wewahitchka - Tupelo Honey Festival (May 19)
* Zellwood - Sweet Corn Festival (May 25-26)
* Palatka - Blue Crab Festival (May 25-28)
* Vero Beach - Indian River County Firefighters' Chili Cookoff (May 26)

Have fun eating your way through the month! For additional information and more events, visit the "Food Fest!" website at www.FoodFestGuide.com