Summer bounty is celebrated throughout the US with an array of fabulous food and wine festivals. Epicurean delights are a great reason to travel, so here are 15 favorite food and wine festivals for the summer of 2011 for the consummate foodie to enjoy.

1. June 9-12 Kapalua Wine and Food Festival, Maui, Hawaii – It’s a bit late to get to this culinary extravaganza this year unless you are already lucky enough to be in Hawaii, but you can always plan to make this annual event next year. The weekend will be filled with culinary exhibitions, interactive wine tastings and evening gala events.
2. June 17-19 Aspen Food & Wine Classic, Aspen, Colorado – Now in its 29^th year, this is one of the world’s premier culinary events, the Aspen Food & Wine Classic includes cooking demonstrations and tastings by a who’s who in world cuisine, especially many of your favorites from TV.
   
3. June 19 to September 18 Vail Farmer’s Market, Vail, Colorado – Open weekly throughout the summer, the Vail Farmer’s Market & Art Show features locally grown produce, international dishes, fresh baked goods and Colorado wine as well as an assortment of local creativity on display at the art show.
4. June 24 – July 3 Taste of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois – Held in Grant Park, this is one of the biggest food events in the nation, highlighting the Windy City’s best in food, from the high end to comfort food.
5. June 25 Savor the Summit, Park City, Utah – Bringing together Park City’s diverse dining options into an incredible culinary experience, this dinner party is served in the middle of Park City’s Historic Main Street. Accompanied by live music throughout, this event celebrates the love of music and food.
6. June 25 Made in the Shade Beer Tasting Festival, Flagstaff, Arizona – This one day event at Fort Tuthill County Park is a wonderfully cool retreat in the middle of a hot Arizona summer. The beer festival features over 50 breweries from around the Southwest and West Coast that bring many varieties of beer to sample.
7. July 4 Music City Hot Chicken Festival, Nashville, Tennessee – Celebrating an original Nashville culinary tradition – hot chicken! This free event features the unique southern flare of local restaurants, amateur cooking competition, inflatable jumpys for the kids, the Yazoo Brewery beer garden, and of course, legendary Nashville music.
8. July 7-10 Park City Food & Wine Classic, Park City, Utah – Experience more than 100 food artisans, wineries, breweries, distilleries, epicurean purveyors, and locally-made products at this ultimate food and wine experience. There is something for everyone – from food and wine tastings, to seminars and cooking demonstrations, to outdoor adventures with food & wine influences, there are tastes and temptations at every turn.
9. July 16-17 Pork, Peanut & Pine Festival, Surry, Virginia – The 36^th annual event at Chippokes Plantation State Park has the feel of an old fashioned county fair. Local vendors sell all kinds of pork meals, flavorful peanuts and arts & crafts. Live music keeps toes tapping while shopping.
   
10. July 16-17 French Festival, Santa Barbara, California – Crepes, onion soup, quiche, pates, sausage, escargots, Cajun and French Moroccan food, salads and cheeses. Beer, wine, sparking Champagne. Orangina, Perrier, and frothy cafe au lait. Chef Michel Richard says it’s like going to France without paying for it. This is the largest French festival in the western United States.
11. July 20-24 Tales of the Cocktail, New Orleans, Louisiana – The nation’s premier cocktail event takes place over five days in New Orleans, and features dinners, demos, competitions and lots and lots of cocktail tasting. From seminars on vintage barware, to sampling how different mixologists handle the same cocktail, to cocktail tours around the city, this is an event no spirits enthusiast will want to miss.
12. July 29-31 Gilroy Garlic Festival XXXIII, Gilroy , California – 10 tons of beef, 4 tons of pasta, 4 tons of calamari, 2 tons of scampi, 2 TONS of fresh Christopher Ranch garlic and $8.5 million raised for local charity. Food and beverage sales, including vampire friendly (garlic free), a cook off, entertainment, the Garlic Queen Pageant, arts & crafts make this a very popular annual event.
13. July 31 – Aug 2 Food Network Southern Food & Wine Festival, Nashville, Tennessee – Held at the expansive Gaylord Opryland, this premier event includes your favorite Food Network stars, exhibiters, food and wine samplings, food competitions and live cooking seminars.
14. August 18-21 Mushroom Festival – Telluride, Colorado -Telluride’s 31st annual celebration of all things fungal will feature field experts and guest speakers, vendor booths selling a variety of take-home packages and area restaurants serving up unique mushroom inspired dishes.
15. August – September Miami Spice, Miami, Florida – Some cities have a restaurant week, but Miami showcases its top restaurants for two whole months during which they offer three-course meals (Lunch $22, Dinner $35) featuring signature dishes created by world-renowned chefs.