Here are some quick tips for fun food events this week, including crawfish, Cinco de Mayo, Cuban sandwiches and more.
We’re into watermelon eating season now, but thanks to Central Florida’s climate, this is also a good time to try growing a few in your home garden. Check out the latest issue of Edible Orlando for advice on what variety will work even if you don’t have a lot of space.
Edible Orlando writer John Graham has scoured the calendar for all the food fun coming up in the next couple weeks and picked the top of the crop. Here comes all the details on what you should be doing Saturday, April 29 through Friday, May 12.
Saturday, April 29
The Daytona Beach Crab and Seafood Festival is taking over a few blocks of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd., 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. The free event includes local food sales, arts and crafts, live music, and kids zone.
Downtown Orlando’s Wall Street Plaza is where you’ll find the International Vegan Food Festival, 3 – 8 p.m., with a couple dozen food stalls as well as makers, artists and vendors. Admission is free, but for $35 (plus tax and fees), you can get in an hour early with reserved seating and a private bartender upstairs at Monkey Bar.
The Mount Dora Blueberry Festival is coming to Donnelly Park on both Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. We’re talking fresh blueberries, blueberry funnel cakes, blueberry arepas, blueberry beer and wine, and, of course, a pie-eating contest. Admission is free, but a morning blueberry pancake breakfast is $12 a person.
Sunday, April 30
Eleven of ICON Park’s restaurants will show off their menus, noon – 5 p.m. for Sip & Savor, supporting the 
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida. Tickets are $39.99 for adults (plus tax and fees) and $9.99 for kids. Participating restaurants include Blake Shelton’s Ole Red (with chicken and waffles, pictured), Tapa Toro, Sloppy Joe’s Orlando, Brother Jimmy’s, and Sugar Factory. The 21+ crowd can also sample craft beers, wines, hard seltzers and moonshine.
Do you call them crawfish or mudbugs? Sanford’s Celery City Craft is throwing a Royal Boil, 2 – 7 p.m., with music from The Supervillains. Admission is free, but seafood boil will go for $15 a pound or three pounds for $40 until it runs out. Seating is limited, so CCC is selling advance $275 VIP tables for six with 20 pounds of crawfish boil and 12 bottle beers.
Thursday, May 4
Canvas in Lake Nona is hosting a three-course dinner and pairing with Aldez Organic Tequila, starting at 6:30 p.m. Aldez’s founder, Manuel Aczualdez, will be there for an evening of tequila history and appreciation. Tickets are $125 a person and, of course, you need to be 21 to attend.
Friday, May 5
Every year, we remind folks that Cinco de Mayo is not that big a deal in Mexico. It’s the anniversary of a military victory over the French in 1862, but not Mexico’s Independence Day. That said, we don’t need much encouragement to celebrate tacos and mariachi bands. Check your neighborhood Mexican place. They probably have something going on.
The first 200 people at each of the two Black Rooster Taqueria locations, Mills 50 and Curry Ford, will get a free guacamole card for use that day or on the next visit. The Curry Ford location will also be serving paletas (ice pops) for kids and boozy paletas for the +21 folks from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Marketplace at Avalon Park is also celebrating with a street party. NOLA Avalon Park is putting a spin on its usual Louisiana menu with Mexican street corn-crusted fried shrimp and maque choux over jambalaya-seasoned rice. Cheese to Share will be mashing up fresh guacamole.
Both Hourglass Brewing locations are celebrating with new tacos and new beers. The Longwood location is teaming up with neighbor Wako Taco. The District Hourglass is bringing in pop-up Fui Yo Mexicana and three trucks – Banditos Tacos, Fajita Jax, and Chill in Tacos Ice Cream.
Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar on Sand Lake Rd. will have pop-up food and drink vendors, door prizes and live music all weekend. On Friday, free shots of Santo Tequila.
Kissimmee’s Promenade at Sunset Walk is throwing a Cinco de Mayo street party with two stages of music featuring pop, merengue, salsa and bachata.
The Wharf at Sunset Walk is doing $5 Modelo draft beers, $5 tequila shots, $8 margs, and fish taco specials. Admission and parking are free.
Saturday, May 6
The Mount Dora Taste & Craft Beer Fest comes to Sunset Park, 6 – 10 p.m., with six breweries and more than a dozen area restaurants as well as wine and bourbons. General admission tickets are $40 (plus fee) until May 6 and then go up to $50. $75 VIP passes include private cash bar and bathrooms, parking, shuttle, servers who will bring you the food samples, and a chance to win an (empty) Elijah Craig bourbon barrel.
Sunday, May 7
The Cuban Sandwich Festival is back in Kissimmee’s Lakefront Park, noon – 6 p.m., with local restaurants 
competing to make the best traditional and non-traditional sandwiches of pork, ham, cheese, pickles and more. After an attempt to break the world record for longest Cuban sandwich, the whole thing will be donated to a local homeless shelter. Admission is free and two Latin orchestras will play.
Wednesday, May 10
Fresh herbs can add new depth to your favorite recipes and Edible Orlando Editor Katie Farmand will show you how, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., at Winter Park’s Center for Health & Wellbeing. Katie will be cooking and you’ll be sampling. The $30 class covers basil-mint lemonade, bean salad with lemon, mint and cilantro, steak with all the herbs, and strawberry-basil shortcakes.
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