This week (and into the weekend), check out these events that are taking place in San Francisco, Washington, DC, St. Louis, Denver, Toronto and Chicago.
San Francisco: Eat Drink SF – August 20-23
Eat Drink SF is San Francisco’s premier annual food, wine, and spirits festival from August 20-23. Four days of delicious events including our signature Grand Tasting experience in Fort Mason. When you walk into Festival Pavilion during a Grand Tasting you will have the best of the city’s culinary landscape laid out before you. Wander between more than 30 top restaurants offering delicious dishes. Enjoy wine, beer, and cocktails poured by top sommeliers, cicerones, and mixologists. Taste your way through our cheese monger cave. Mingle with the personalities that make the Bay Area a world-class dining destination. See cooking demonstrations and learn in classes taught by renown tastemakers. Your ticket grants you total access to a one of a kind culinary affair (no wallet needed inside). A quintessentially San Francisco celebration of flavor presented by the Golden Gate Restaurant Association.
For more information, visit Eat Drink SF.
Washington, DC: Restaurant Week – August 17-23
Restaurant Week Metro DC is happening this week, August 17-23. More than 200 of DC’s best restaurants in the District, Maryland and Virginia are offering prix fixe meals. Enjoy $22.00 lunch and $35.00 dinner specials.
This is a fantastic chance to dine at some of Washington, DC’s most buzzed-about restaurants including Fig and Olive in downtown, Firefly in Dupont Circle and the Liberty Tavern in Arlington. Reservations are strongly encouraged at many of these locations. For more information, visit DC Metro Restaurant Week.
St. Louis: 2nd Annual World’s Fare Heritage Festival – August 22-23
A two-day festival packed with an exciting mash up of elements from the original 1904 World’s fair and last year’s inaugural event. Forest Park will be the centerpiece of the celebration featuring events and competitions embracing the history of the 1904 World’s Fair, highlighting the culture of St. Louis today, and looking to the future as a stronger more unified community. 2015 features include kid’s island family activities and entertainment, favorite St. Louis eateries, live musical performances, historical exhibitions, beer garden & backyard games, live art displays, and a World Business Expo supporting local businesses.
The festival is Saturday and Sunday, August 22 and 23. The hours on Saturday are 4:00 to 10:00 p.m. and Sunday they are 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. For more information, visit St. Louis World’s Fare.
Denver: USA Pro Challenge Cycling – August 17-23
Known for lung-searing altitudes and intense climbs through the Colorado Rockies, this cycling race is the largest spectator events in the history of the state.
The 2015 USA Pro Challenge (UPC) takes place August 17-23. The UPC zooms through eight official host cities and, as with the previous four years, the finish line is in downtown Denver on August 23. Beginning in Steamboat Springs, the final stage will travel through Golden and conclude with three thrilling laps around the Colorado State Capitol. An awards ceremony and food trucks will follow in Civic Center Park.
For those bike riders looking for a less competitive experience, Denver boasts 85 miles of paved bike trails that cyclists enjoy all summer long. You don’t even need to bring your bike. Denver B-cycle, the city’s pioneering bike-share program, offers an easy way to get around on two wheels. Purchase a daily pass for $9 at any of the 85 B-cycle stations located throughout the city, near museums, attractions and hotels. Once a pass is purchased, you can pick up one of the 700 B-cycles from any station and drop it off at any other station.
For more information, visit the USA Pro Challenge.
Toronto: Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) – August 21 to September 7
This annual fair is fun for the entire family. Midway rides bring chills and thrills. The National Trade Centre boasts an International Marketplace with goods spanning the globe along with innovative products. Horse shows and dog shows entertain both young and old. The Canadian National Exhibition opens on Friday, August 21 and runs through September 7.
A popular end-of-summer ritual, the Canadian National Exhibition offers a wide variety of colourful interactive experiences. Indulge in classic fair foods and kooky culinary concoctions. (NEW for 2015 – Cake Poutine!) Flip inside out and upside down on a kaleidoscope of midway rides. Try your luck at vintage CNE games and the casino, then shop ’til you drop as you scoop up bargains galore. Take in all the attractions including concerts, celebrity chef demonstrations, international performances plus comedy and animal shows. Interact with park entertainers, farm animals, colourful characters in Kids World and so much more. All the EXcitement culminates on Labor Day Weekend in a three-day air show. Memories are waiting to be made at the CNE where there is fun for the entire family. Visit TheEx.com for details!
Chicago: Closing Weekend of the Grant Park Music Festival – August 21-22
Acclaimed by critics and beloved by audiences, the Grant Park Music Festival is the nation’s only free, summer-long outdoor classical music series of its kind.
This weekend, the Festival’s 2015 Season comes to a thrilling close with Elgar’s epic oratorio The Kingdom, featuring the Grant Park Chorus and an all-star line-up of vocalists including the internationally renowned soprano Erin Wall. Tickets are available for concerts on Friday starting at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday starting at 7:30 p.m. You can also attend the open rehearsals during the day. Complete details are available on the website.
Held at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, this season has featured an ambitious schedule of programming that has included something for everyone! Grab your blanket and some snacks and enjoy a classical concert under the stars!
For more information, visit the Grant Park Music Festival.
Featured Image: Chicago’s Pritzker Pavilion at Grant Park. Photographer: Christopher Neseman.
