On the road: St. Louis Oktoberfest adding carnival to festivities
Chicago
Tastefully done
Taste Talks is a three-day food festival in Chicago featuring panel discussions, underground dinners and an all-star barbecue starring some of the nation's favorite chefs. Chicago chef Paul Kahan is curator for the culinary cutting edge event. There will be panels on food photography, ice cream desserts, the art of charcuterie, small distillers and even a fireside chat with Chicago chef Rick Bayless.
Friday to Sunday, Oct. 3-5. Event times, locations and prices vary. Single tickets and all-access passes available. taste-talks.com.
Use your noodle
It's fall when a Midwesterner's fancy turns to comfort food, which is perfect timing for the first Mac & Cheese Fest. With a variety of macaroni and cheese entrees, appetizers and sides served with craft beers, wine and soft drinks, the festival features roughly 50 Chicago chefs concocting their versions of the dish inspired from their culture and family traditions. Participating restaurants include Carlucci Restaurant & Bar; Carnivale; Chicago Q; Connie's Pizza; Jake Melnick's; Table Fifty-Two; and The Southern. One lucky chef will take home "The Golden Noodle" award. Will it be the pulled pork mac & cheese, Buffalo chicken mac & cheese or the Chipotle truffle chorizo version? A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana.
Noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, at UIC Forum, 725 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago. Tickets cost $50 and include tastings from the participating restaurants and five drink tickets for craft beer, wines and spirits. macandcheesechicago.com.
Midwest
Rock the river
RiverRocks Adventure Sports Games in Chattanooga, Tennessee, aims to be one of the nation's premier outdoor festivals, showcasing natural resources, outdoor activities, entertainment and family-friendly fun. Athletic events, live music and events that appeal to a broad range of visitors, including paddle boarding, adventure films, a bluegrass festival, rooftop parties, canoe jousting, kayak races and leisure paddle rides, speed-climbing competition, rock climbing, mountain biking, trail running events and more.
Times vary per day and activity. Open weekends Oct. 2-26 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. For an event schedule and information, see RiverRocksChattanooga.com.
Colonize Iowa
Oktoberfest at Iowa's Amana Colonies village may be one of the busiest fall fests in the Midwest. Be the first to finish eating a foot-long brat and win a gift certificate to the Amana Meat Shop; watch the official keg tapping; after the Oktoberfest Parade, take a guided tour to get a closer look at how Amana furniture and clocks are handcrafted; take in demonstrations at Iowa's only working wool mill; watch the creation of traditional blankets; enjoy carriage rides through the historic streets of Amana; and listen to live classic rock 'n' roll music or tunes by the Bavarian Musikmeisters while munching brats, free fudge samples, hot dogs and sipping Oktoberfest beer. There will be lots of activities for kids at Kidinderplatz. Consider reserving a spot at the communal dining and historical experience.
Noon to midnight Friday, Oct. 3; 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday, Oct. 4; and 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5. $10 for a one-day pass, $15 for a two-day pass. Pre-sale ticket prices, valid through Oct. 2, are $7 for a one-day pass and $12 for a two-day pass. festivalsinamana.com/oktoberfest.
Stein full of soul
The 2014 Oktoberfest in the Soulard section of St. Louis, Missouri, promises to be the biggest in its history with the internationally acclaimed The Dorfrockers, The Steve Ewing Band, Copper Box, the award-winning polka rock of the Chardon Polka Band, the Austrian Express, the Deutschmeister Brass Band, and the Soulard blues band, The Wendls. For the first time, a full carnival (just like the traditional Oktoberfest in Munich) has been added to Soulard Oktoberfest. Sample bites from an array of food trucks, Strange Donuts and other purveyors as well as traditional German draughts and local microbrews.
4 p.m. to midnight Friday, Oct. 10; 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday, Oct. 11; and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, across 7th Street from the Soulard Market, St. Louis, Missouri. Admission is $5. See soulardoktoberfest.com.
Worth the Trip
Atlantis on Paradise Island, Bahamas, is currently offering a "December to Remember" deal for families to enjoy the holiday season in paradise. You have to book soon to get the deal, which includes access to the Aquaventure Water Park, the largest open-air marine habitat in the world, and The Dig and The Ruins of Atlantis aquariums. There's also an array of activities, from swimming with dolphins and the CRUSH Teen Club to more than 24 dining experiences and celebrity-chef restaurants, including the recently opened Olives by Todd English in the Atlantis Casino (the largest in the Bahamas).
The "December to Remember" deal is bookable through Sept. 30 for travel between Dec. 1-17. Rates range from $99 to $299 per night at atlantis.com.