Got $24,000? You and a Friend Can Attend the Cayman Cookout
Plus, a few other food festivals that are more budget friendly.
There’s certainly no shortage of food festivals in the world.
These events can be found in most every city, turning eating and drinking from something to do in order to survive to a fun activity.
Some festivals incorporate lectures, readings, live music performances, and demonstrations. Some are themed around a particular food, like La Valle Wisconsin’s Pickle Fest, an annual celebration of all things pickle. Others celebrate the culture of a city, like the New Orleans French Quarter Festival.
There are also multi-day mega festivals that feature fantastic food, celebrity chefs, and party atmospheres set in a desirable location. These are what fantasy vacations are built around. These weekends tend to be “bucket list” destinations with prices headed in the thousands for a weekend of sipping cocktails and hobnobbing with your favorite chefs.
The lineup for the Cayman Cookout was recently announced with a staggering price tag attached to its five-day celebration.
The 16th annual Cookout held at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman from January 15 – 20, 2025 offers a “Cayman Cookout” package that starts at $2,400 per night for two guests with a five-night minimum stay required. Do the math and we’re talking $24,000 for two people, not including airfare and the additional $98 per room per night resort fee, taxes, and service charges). The package does include accommodations, access to signature experiences, and roundtrip airport transfers.
What do you get after you plunk down your gold card?
The Cookout celebrates international and Caribbean cuisine and offers attendees the chance to frolic with the likes of José Andrés, Andrew Zimmern, Kristen Kish, Daniel Boulud, and Emeril Lagasse. The lineup also includes new culinary talents such as Jorge Vallejo, Ronaldo Hsu, Claude Le Tohic, and Gonzo Jimenez as well as award-winning Afro-Boricua mixologist, LP O’Brien, founder of LP Drinks.
If you’re looking for other suggestions, here are a few more “bucket list” food festivals to consider:
The Food & Wine Classic
June14-16, 2024 in Aspen, Colorado
For four decades, the Food & Wine Classic is more than just a party — it’s a serious tasting event that features more than 150 winemakers, distillers, and culinary offerings from around the globe. Celebrity chefs appearing this year include Tyler Florence, Kristen Kish, Maneet Chauhan, David Chang, Tiffany Derry, Danny Meyer, Stephanie Izard, Nancy Silverton, and more. Tickets start at $2,950 for three days of tastings and seminars. In addition, a portion of ticket sales will benefit the Southern Smoke Foundation, a national emergency relief fund that supports workers in the food and beverage industry in crisis, and No Kid Hungry.
San Sebastián Gastronomika, Spain
October 6 - 9, San Sebastián, Spain
If Spain is on your culinary bucket list, why not plan your trip around the San Sebastián Gastronomika. The weekend offers food and drink, cooking demonstrations, and more in Basque Country. At this time, the chef lineup has not been announced, but at 250 Euros per person, it sounds like a good value.
The South Beach Wine & Food Festival
Feb 20 to 23, 2025, Miami Beach
For more than two decades, the South Beach Wine & Food Festival has gathered a stellar list of celebrity chefs to the sands of South Beach for a long weekend of food, drink, and fun in the sun. The four-day festival has grown since its inception 23 years ago and has expanded to include dinners and events throughout the Miami area. The festival now includes FoodieCon, a mini festival-within-a-festival designed for influencers and their followers. People flock to SOBEWFF to eat, drink, and mingle with favorites like Geoffrey Zakarian, Robert Irvine, Jet Tila, Alex Guarnaschelli, and more. Tickets are sold individually and start at under $100 for some events (and work their way up. Feel good about your inevitable sunburn and hangover knowing that net proceeds benefit the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University.