#1 Food, Wine & Restaurant Industry Event
Previously known as the International Boston Seafood Show, Seafood Expo North America hosted more than 19,000 visitors from more than 46 countries. This year the show spanned a record 185,780 feet and hosted 1,017 exhibitors and suppliers. Next: March 16-18, 2014
#2 Food, Wine & Restaurant Industry Event (up from #3)
Colocated with Seafood Expo North America, this year's food showcase attracted 16,000 attendees to see the hottest food, beverage, and equipment trends. Next: March 16-18, 2014
#3 Food, Wine & Restaurant Industry Event (up from #8)
AIDS Action hosted the benefit, which raised a record $130,000 and hosted a record 725 attendees. Guests sampled food from 42 neighborhood restaurants and bid at a 100-item silent auction. Next: March 2014
#4 Food, Wine & Restaurant Industry Event
The Boston Wine Expo brought more than 8,000 guests to the Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center for demos with celebrity chefs Ming Tsai and Barbara Lynch, a Grand Tasting with more than 200 wineries, and more than 25 wine-education seminars. The convention has raised more than $1.3 million for charities; a primary beneficiary is the Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center. Next: February 15-16, 2014
#5 Food, Wine & Restaurant Industry Event (up from #6)
This year Taste of the Nation Boston raised $95,000 to combat childhood hunger. Honorary chefs included Jody Adams, Gordon Hamersley, Joanne Chang, Andy Husbands, and Tony Maws, with celebrity guests Ming Tsai and Jamie Bissonnette. In honor of the Boston Marathon bombings, $10,000 was donated to Boston Medical Center. Next: April 29, 2014
#6 Food, Wine & Restaurant Industry Event (new to the list)
The second annual Friends for Haiti event took place at Duxbury Beach, where organizers raised $85,000 from 500 guests for the Island Creek Oysters Foundation, supporting Caribbean Harvest, a tilapia-farming project in Haiti. Next: November 12, 2014
#7 Food, Wine & Restaurant Industry Event
New England’s largest one-day farmers’ market, the Boston Local Food Festival took over the Rose Kennedy Greenway this year with a “Healthy Food for All” theme, produced by the local Sustainable Business Network. The event drew 15,000 people and more than 100 food trucks, farmers, and restaurants. Next: October 5, 2014
#8 Food, Wine & Restaurant Industry Event
About 1,000 guests and 30 top restaurants converged for this year’s event hosted by local news personality Susan Wornick, with special guests Mayor Thomas Menino and Governor Deval Patrick. Next: October 2, 2014
#9 Food, Wine & Restaurant Industry Event
More than 900 guests attended the 16th annual culinary festival supporting Future Chefs, which prepares local youth for employment and educational opportunities in the culinary field. Next: June 10, 2014
#10 Food, Wine & Restaurant Industry Event
The 31st annual Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl presented by FedEx served ice cream and frozen yogurt from the nation's top ice cream companies on City Hall Plaza; to date the event has raised more than $3.5 million for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Next: Summer 2014
#11 Food, Wine & Restaurant Industry Event
Presented by BeerAdvocate and Harpoon Brewery, this year's festival saw more than 15,000 beer lovers sample drinks from 145 American craft brewers, serving more than 650 craft beers. Next: May 30-31, 2014
