How social media killed the food festival stars. And created others

The Evolution of Food Festivals: From Celebrity Chef Bacchanals to Hyperlocal Celebrations

For nearly a decade, Lesley VanNess made an annual pilgrimage to the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, joining thousands who paid premium prices for the chance to mingle with culinary celebrities on Miami’s iconic beaches.

“I’d get the Food Network Magazine and there would be advertisements for it. I’m like, ‘Oh my god! You could go to that? Go to these great events and meet these celebrity chefs?'” said VanNess, a 44-year-old former restaurant owner from Iowa. “I’m in!”

VanNess was part of a wave that fueled a food festival boom around 2010, when similar events proliferated across the country, creating a circuit for celebrity chefs and their admirers. These gatherings offered something once considered invaluable: direct access to culinary stars like Rachael Ray and Bobby Flay.

But the landscape has shifted dramatically. Social media has dissolved the barriers between fans and food celebrities, allowing direct interaction through platforms like Instagram and Twitter. VanNess hasn’t attended the South Beach festival since at least 2020, explaining, “I’d rather see them on social media or go to their restaurant.”

This evolution raises questions about the continued relevance of food festivals in an era when virtual connections are just a tap away. While established events like South Beach, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, remain robust, many smaller festivals have vanished—casualties of the pandemic, rising costs, and changing consumer preferences.

“South Beach and New York, they fill a niche and I can see them going on forever. But food events and food festivals are going in a whole other direction,” said Mike Thelin, co-founder of the now-shuttered Feast Portland festival.

The fundamental value proposition has changed. Festivals once provided essential exposure for chefs, wineries, and food producers seeking wider recognition. “In 2010, they wanted to get on the map,” Thelin explained. “They don’t need that anymore.”

In place of what industry insiders call “white tent affairs”—a reference to South Beach’s sprawling beachfront installations—a new breed of festivals is emerging. These events are smaller, more focused, and deeply rooted in local culture and community.

“If I’m going to a certain region, I want to know what makes that region special,” Thelin noted. “I don’t want to go into a giant white tent that’s devoid of geography and drink a bunch of wines from California if I’m in Washington or Tennessee.”

The AAPI Food & Wine festival exemplifies this new approach. The three-year-old event, based in Oregon and New York City, draws about 1,000 attendees annually to celebrate the culinary contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

“The foodie scene has changed so much,” said Lois Cho, one of the festival’s founders. “People didn’t realize wine and black bean noodles and izakaya and all these different Thai dishes—they had no idea they paired. Creating a different narrative and community where you can connect with people, those are the types of events we’ll see now.”

Similarly, the Southbound Food Festival in Birmingham, Alabama, launched in 2022, focuses on celebrating the city’s unique culinary identity. The weeklong event draws support not just from chefs but also from the region’s art and music scenes.

“There’s less appeal today with these TV chefs. Great chefs are everywhere,” said Nancy Hopkins, one of the event’s founders. “People come to celebrate and uplift Birmingham.”

Despite this shift, the established festivals remain powerhouses. Nearly all 110 events at this year’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival, featuring over 500 chefs and food personalities, sold out. Over its 25-year history, the festival has raised more than $45 million for Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Lee Schrager, the driving force behind both the South Beach and New York City Wine & Food festivals, maintains that the original blueprint remains relevant.

“There’s something very different about DM’ing Bobby Flay than going to an intimate dinner at a table of 10 that he’s doing that’s sold out in three days,” Schrager said. “Social media has made everyone available, but can you touch and feel it?”

The economics of these events have become increasingly challenging. Schrager revealed that this year’s South Beach festival sold $7 million in tickets and secured $6 million in sponsorships—netting just over $1 million.

“It’s a good number in the festival world, but it’s not a great return if you’re running a profit business,” he acknowledged.

For celebrity chefs like Rachael Ray, who has participated in nearly every South Beach and New York festival, the appeal of face-to-face interactions remains powerful.

“I love talking to people, being with people, having people climb all over you, hang on you, give you a compliment,” Ray said. “I love being in the real-life experience.”

As the industry continues to evolve, both models appear poised to coexist—the grand spectacles celebrating culinary celebrity alongside intimate gatherings honoring local food culture and community connection.