The York Food & Drink Festival is an annual event that celebrates the local food and drink culture of the city. It offers a range of exciting activities, including chef demonstrations, free cookery workshops, markets, fringe events, taste trails, and the cookie tour.

The markets are divided between food and drink to take home and street food to eat at the event. Overall, there are about 100 stands available, and they are open from 10 am until 5 pm. The street food stands around the music venues remain open during the evening performances, making it an excellent spot to enjoy some delicious food while listening to music.

The chef demonstrations take place on St Sampson’s Square. The area offers seating for viewers, and local chefs showcase their skills every hour between noon and 4 pm. The best part is that it’s free to enter, and anyone with a passion for cooking can contact admin@yorkfoodfestival.com to demonstrate.

The free cookery workshops are held in the Museum Gardens and St Crux Hall. They are available in themes such as making bread, pasta, vegan dips, and smoking your own food. There is a minimum of six workshops available, and more themes are in development. These workshops are suitable for all ages and are open every day from 10 am to 4 pm, except for Monday 25th to Friday 29th, when the area is reserved for schools. The public can visit between 3 pm to 4 pm on those days.

Fringe events take place in hotels, restaurants, and retailers throughout the city. These events are open to all York businesses to propose and offer an opportunity to showcase their culinary skills.

The music events take place in two separate bar areas. The first is located in the lively Entertainments Marquee in Parliament Street and offers a range of street food stands, a real ale bar, and the main stage for live music. The second bar area is located in St Sampson’s Square and offers both a gin bar and a wine stand, along with a more relaxed evening music atmosphere.

Did you know that the York Food Festival is a not-for-profit organisation?
Any money generated (from trader fees to ticket sales) goes back into the festival to improve it year after year.
During the festivals we also run an extensive free food education programme to local schools and visiting families.
Please consider making a donation to support this programme and keep it running.