Vancouver
#1 Food, Wine & Hospitality Event
The 40th anniversary festival drew 25,000 attendees to sniff and sip at the Vancouver Convention Cenrtre and shone a spotlight on wines from Portugal and Spain. For 2019, 160 wineries from 15 countries are expected to participate, and Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival will be the charitable beneficiary once again. Next: February 23-March 3, 2019
St. Catharines, Ontario
#2 Food, Wine & Hospitality Event
The new Harvest Moon Festival is expected to draw additional crowds at this year’s event, along with the Premier Sommelier Lounge for elite Ontario wines and sparkling wines. Forty wineries are scheduled to participate in 2018, and new sponsors include Telus Mobility and Trillium College. Next: September 2019
Toronto
#3 Food, Wine & Hospitality Event
About 18,000 chefs, owners, managers, and buyers attended Canada’s largest food service event at the Enercare Centre this year, pushing attendance up by 15 percent. Sponsors included Canada Beer, Dairy Farmers of Ontario, and Energy Star. The theme for 2019 is sustainability: energy, waste, and the greening of restaurants. Next: February 24-26, 2019
Toronto
#4 Food, Wine & Hospitality Event (up from #5)
The sold-out celebration of suds grew by nine percent in 2018, and added a Thursday night lineup, welcoming 35,000 over four days. Hometown rockers Broken Social Scene performed at Exhibition Place’s Bandshell Park, and OLG and Tech Savvy were new sponsors. Next: July 25-29, 2019
Montreal
#5 Food, Wine & Hospitality Event (up from #6)
Attendance at the street fair and lumberjack party grew by 23 percent in 2018 to more than 98,000. Visitors took part in ax-throwing contests, old-fashioned kids’ games, and taste-tested Quebec’s sweet maple sugar. Crown Royal and paper-products company Cascades sponsored. Next: March 21-24, 2019
Montreal
#6 Food, Wine & Hospitality Event
The food-focused event returned to the Place des Festivals in the Quartier des Spectacles in downtown Montreal in 2018, when about one million people attended. The theme this year was Celebrating Knowledge, and all 14 workshops and conferences sold out. Bell and RBC remain key sponsors. Next year marks the festival’s 20th anniversary. Next: February 23-March 3, 2019
Toronto
#7 Food, Wine & Hospitality Event (up from #9)
More than 130,000 evening eaters and 120 vendors attended this year’s three-night Asian food market at Markham Civic Centre. Activations and concerts round out the foodie experience every year, with Mountain Equipment Co-op’s rock-climbing wall a big hit in 2018. TD and Yelp returned as sponsors. Next: July 2019
Charlottetown
#8 Food, Wine & Hospitality Event
More than 10,000 lobster lovers were expected in 2018, when the new Junior Chef Challenge, presented by Dairy Farmers of Canada and hosted by celebrity chef Michael Smith, had tweens competing for a $1,000 cash prize. Prize money for adult shuckers grew to $26,000. Mott’s Clamato and Sysco came on board as new sponsors. Next: September 2019
Toronto
#9 Food, Wine & Hospitality Event
More than 40,000 gourmands are expected at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in 2018, when the expo features the new Fine Wine Tasting Lounge for elite visitors, private buyers, and collectors. Returning sponsor Mott’s Clamato will again host the Best Caesar in Town contest on the Trend Stage. Next: November 22-25, 2018
Okanagan Valley, B.C.
#10 Food, Wine & Hospitality Event
The festival will offer five signature events in 2018, including the Thanksgiving Brunch at the Watermark Beach Resort, and individual wineries will host another 90. This year the famous WestJet Wine Tastings move to the new 28,000-square-foot Carson Air hangar at the Kelowna International Airport, with planes, cars, and aerialists on site. Presenting sponsor is Valley First credit union. Next: September 27-October 7, 2018
