Ohio food festivals: Taste of Cincinnati, Little Italy and Tremont

Ohio's long-running food festivals include Taste of Cincinnati, held on Memorial Day weekend since 1979, the Feast of the Assumption in Cleveland's Little Italy in mid-August, and Taste of Tremont in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood. Dates move each year, so use each organizer's own website to confirm before you travel.

What is Taste of Cincinnati?

A downtown festival that has run since 1979 and is often described as the longest-running culinary arts festival in the United States. Sources say about half a million people attend. It is held on Memorial Day weekend, so expect early summer weather and large crowds. Local places to eat sell small tastes at festival prices, and there is music, which makes it a good way to try several kitchens in one afternoon.

What is the Feast of the Assumption?

A parish festival in Cleveland's Little Italy, held at the Holy Rosary church area, 12021 Mayfield Road, in mid-August. One source says it has run since 1898. It includes a Saturday procession, Italian street food and music. It is a community event more than a food-tasting event, and many visitors come for the sausage, pizza fritta, pastries and the neighborhood atmosphere.

What is Taste of Tremont?

A one-day street festival on Professor Avenue in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood. A listing describes free admission with food sold per bite, and a Cleveland guide placed one edition in July. Dates vary, so check the organizer. Tremont has many places to eat, bars and galleries, so you can pair the festival with a meal.

How do you plan a festival day?

Go early. Walk the festival once, then choose three or four items to share. Buy tickets or tokens if the festival uses them, and check whether stalls take cards. Bring a water bottle and sunscreen. Wear comfortable shoes, as you will be on your feet on pavement.

Tips for large crowds

Crowds are heavy on Saturday afternoons. If you are bringing children, go in the morning, when lines are shorter. Agree on a meeting place in case you are separated, since phone signals can be weak in crowds.

How do you get there?

For Cincinnati, downtown garages fill quickly, so consider the Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar or a rideshare. For Little Italy, parking is limited, and a shuttle is often offered from a nearby station, so check the festival's website. For Tremont, street parking is tight, and RTA buses serve the area. Always check transit information for the festival weekend.

What if you have dietary needs?

Festival stalls are small kitchens. Ask each stall about ingredients, oils and cross-contact. A parish festival often has vegetarian options such as pasta or pastries, but ask. Kitchens at a tasting festival may list allergens on a sign or at the booth.

What else is worth eating in Ohio?

Cincinnati is known for its chili, served over spaghetti with cheese. Cleveland is known for Polish boys, a sausage sandwich topped with fries and coleslaw, and for the West Side Market. Columbus has a strong ice cream and coffee scene. If your trip is built around a festival, add a place to eat meal in the same city.

Making a festival weekend

If you are traveling for one of these, plan a base in the city. For Cincinnati, stay downtown so you can walk. For Cleveland, a stay near Tremont or Little Italy lets you eat at neighborhood spots the night before or after. Book a hotel early, because festival weekends fill quickly, and check parking rules, as streets near a festival close.

Smaller Ohio festivals

Beyond the three above, Ohio towns run many church, ethnic and harvest festivals through the summer and fall, often with home cooking and low prices. A listing site or the town's events page will show what is on near you. Parish festivals are a good way to try a community's food, and many are open to everyone.

What to eat first

At a tasting festival, start with the dish the kitchen is known for, because it is usually the best use of a small portion. At a parish festival, start with the homemade items that sell out first, such as pastries and sausage. Come back later for a second round of whatever impressed you.

Budget and tickets

Most festivals sell small portions for a few tokens or tickets. Set a limit before you arrive, buy tickets in a few small batches rather than all at once, and share portions. Prices change each year, so check the organizer's site rather than rely on an older guide.

Festivals are also good places to meet cooks. Ask the person behind the table about a dish, and you may learn a family recipe, a regional habit or a place to eat the next day.

How do you remember what you ate?

Mosey is a food-first app where diners find places by dish, mood and neighborhood and rate what they actually ate. A festival page can say when it is usually held and link to the organizer's website, and once the organizer publishes dates it can list the stalls and what each serves, with allergens marked as not listed where a stall has not said. A rating of a dish stays with the stall that cooked it.

More guides to read next:

• Milwaukee Public Market and 3rd Street Market Hall: a guide
• Parkville Market in Hartford: Connecticut's first food hall
• Texas, Carolina, Memphis or Kansas City barbecue: the styles and the vote

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