Massive DC Food and Drink Festival Starts This Weekend

WASHINGTON, DC — It's a food and drink festival so big, they have to shut down four blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue in the heart of downtown D.C. to fit everything in. Taste of DC kicks off this Columbus Day weekend, and area restaurants and entertainers will fill the downtown area all weekend long.

The festival, which takes place at 7th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, runs from 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8 and from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 9. There's a VIP entrance at 3rd Street and Constitution Avenue NW.

You'll be able to sample from all sorts of local eateries at Restaurant Row, which will feature more than 60 of the city's restaurants. Or, head to the Bier Garten and Wine Walk for an adult beverage. The Bier Garten has over 50 beers on tap, and the Wine Walk has 50 wins available. While you're there, you can watch the Ben's Chili Bowl World Chili Eating Championship, which takes place at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

There are multiple options for tickets. The lowest price is general admission at $20, which will include admission to the festival as well as a voucher for a complimentary beverage and a $10 gift card valid at Capital Restaurants Concepts locations. A $40 Drink Lovers ticket will get you a sampling cup and $25 in beverage tickets for the Bier Garten and Wine Walk. The Tastemaker Ticket for $60 will get you everything in the Drink Lover's package, plus private festival entrance and lounge seating, as well as specialty cocktails in the VIP areas.

The most expensive ticket is the Tastemaker Plus ticket, which gets you everything in the Tastemaker package, as well as a choice of one of five group seminars, which features local restaurateurs and mixologists.

A child's ticket costs $10, and is valid for children between the ages of 6 and 12 years old. Children under 6 get in free.

For more information on the festival, click here.

Image via Taste of DC