Food festivals have become huge for both large and small cities everywhere. I mean, you’ve got cuisine from all different ethnicities and cultures represented in one place. What’s not to love? I’ve been witness to some pretty vile behavior at food festivals, and I’m not talking about the drunkety drunks. If you seem to forget all etiquette when you go to food festivals, please stay home. In any case, here are some etiquette guidelines for proper food festival behavior.
1. Try something different. There are maps and directories all over listing participating restaurants and what deliciousness they will be serving up. If it were me, I’d pour over that list and plan out exactly where I’d be hitting up and my route. I’m a total dork like that. But I’d also plan to stop at some places that aren’t on my list. You never know what you can discover.
2. Line Cutting. Yes, lines are very long at some of the most popular food tents.In case you didn’t know, you aren’t the only one who doesn’t like to wait! But cutting in line just makes you like a huge dirtbag. If you just don’t have the patience to wait, then find another food tent with short lines.
3. Move Over! I will never understand the people that get their food and proceed to stand there holding up the line and eat it, oblivious to everyone else around them! This creates a huge backup in the line. I don’t know how anyone can do this and not feel those rays of death on them from everyone else behind them.
4. Say Please and Thank You. If you think it’s hot a miserable walking around while sipping on your beer, think about how miserable it is under the tent, standing all day long, plating up food. A smile and a “thank you” go a long way. So, don’t forget your manners.
5. Just say No to Strollers. Okay, I might take some heat for this one. It seems that so many people want to bring their kids to food festivals, but why? Are they just too cheap to pay for a sitter? If I had kids, I’d want to try everything and grow up to be a foodie for sure, but a food festival just isn’t the place for them. Have you ever looked at those kids in the strollers – they are bored and festival goers don’t appreciate having their feet run over!
Did you know that a food festival is actually the worst place to see a chef’s talents? Think about it – they aren’t able to prepare food in their kitchen and must pick food items that can be prepped easily and are simple to keep warm. How else could they churn out plate after plate of food? Remember these etiquette rules next time you are at a food festival and you will probably have a better time. Or, at least those around you will.
