As the coffee industry and America’s love of specialty coffee grows, so does the number of coffee festivals held each year.
Some events, like the specialty coffee expo, are geared towards baristas, coffee shop owners, and other professionals.
There are also events, like coffee crawls, that are designed for both experts and casual coffee fans.
From New York to Las Angeles, there is a coffee festival for everyone.
As a former barista who loves all things specialty coffee, let me share nine popular coffee festivals.
By Jackalyn Beck.
Festivals For Anyone Who Loves Coffee
Whether you are a casual coffee drinker or a barista, these events are for anyone who loves this delicious caffeinated beverage!
While most events are focused on the personal aspects of coffee, festivals are a great way to try new things and learn more about different aspects of the industry.
Plus, many of the events are centered around things like fundraisers or boosting the local economy.
Part of the way I became a barista is because of my interest in specialty coffee and, in particular, cuppings.
So you never know what these sort of events will lead to!
Southwest Chocolate and Coffee Fest
Coffee and chocolate- a match made in heaven!
The annual Southwest Chocolate and Coffee festival started in 2009 and typically takes place in March at the New Mexico state fairgrounds.
The event is open to anyone, even kids!
In 2022, admission for kids younger than 13 was only $2 and 100% of the proceeds go to supporting the Rio Grande Down Syndrome Network.
It isn’t all fun, there are also games!
The event features all kinds of unique activities, like bend & brew yoga and even a painting class.
If you have too much fun eating chocolate and trying other gourmet food, then you can run or walk it off in the Nitro 5k!
There is a little something for everyone at this one-of-a-kind celebration.
Cincinnati Coffee Festival
The Cincinnati Coffee Festival takes place in – you guessed it – Cincinnati, Ohio.
The event functions as an annual fundraiser for the Ohio River Foundation.
They support this organization and water conservation because, “without great water, you can’t have great coffee!”
This fest is geared towards foodies, not just coffee fans.
While not featured in the title, the event also features tea, baked goods, and other gourmet food.
Events include tasting workshops, processing and roasting classes, as well as live music.
There is even a latte art competition for baristas and anyone else who wants to participate.
The dates for 2023 festival are October 21-22.
The New York Coffee Festival
The New York Coffee Festival is held in New York City and is the city’s flagship coffee event.
The event, which typically takes place in the fall, is made for people of all skill levels, so anyone from beginners to business owners are welcome to attend.
New York Coffee Festival features plenty of opportunities to try coffee samples and learn from workshops and events.
The topics change from year to year but always include a balanced mix of beginner-friendly topics, like basic latte art, and more advanced workshops, like crafting coffee cocktails.
The first day of this three day event has historically been set aside for industry professionals.
The other days, typically Saturday and Sunday, are open to professionals and the public.
The Los Angeles Coffee Festival
Heading all the way to the west coast, is the Los Angeles Coffee Festival.
This event is run very similarly to the one in New York and features many of the same features but with some key differences.
It also follows the same structure with one day being set aside as a trade day.
Likewise, it’s a great event for both coffee fans and big-time aficionados.
Unlike the New York Coffee Festival, the event in LA typically takes place in the spring.
It also features the coffee music project, a platform for emerging music artists in various genres.
To boot, there are even cooking demos meant to highlight the up-and-coming LA food scene.
Needless to say, this event stands on its own as a unique experience.
Caffeine Crawl
If you are a coffee fan looking for a unique experience, you can find it at a caffeine crawl!
These high-energy events look super fun and happen around once a month across the United States.
While they offer virtual events and even a coffee crawl inspired board game CAFFEINO, in-person crawls are a unique festivity.
Crawls happen in many different cities, including Kansas City, Sacramento, Indianapolis, Houston, and Oklahoma City.
Odds are, you can find one near you!
If not, you can suggest a host city in your area.
Festivals For Coffee Professionals
The following events are made with coffee professionals, like baristas and coffee shop owners, in mind.
While they are similar to trade shows, these festivals often place a lot of emphasis on education through things like hands-on workshops.
Coffee Fest
Coffee Fest is a series of events held at various locations across the United States.
In 2023 the locations will be New York, Louisville, and Anaheim.
Plus there is a fourth location for a festival in fall 2023 that hasn’t been announced yet.
While the locations change, the general events are very similar each year. Each of the events is mostly geared towards coffee professionals and business owners.
Exhibitors include everything from coffee suppliers to other shop owners.
Coffee Fest also hosts a cold brew competition and the latte art world championship at various locations.
However, the main focus is typically placed on networking and education.
While there are paid workshops, many free seminars are also available.
You can even apply to present a class on topics like coffee roasting and skills training.
Sensory Summit
I have always wanted to go to this event.
If you’re like me and love the opportunity to taste new coffee while learning, the Sensory Summit will be right up your alley!
This event isn’t always hosted in the U.S. but it is a great opportunity for coffee professionals to refine their palates and get acquainted with coffee sensory science.
Like the Specialty Coffee Expo, this event is put on by the Specialty Coffee Association and includes the support of groups like the Coffee Roaster’s Guild.
This two-day, annual event is chock full of hands-on workshops and seminars to help you refine your palate.
While there is plenty of tasting to be done, there are also presentations on topics like recent consumer research and how qualities like acidity impact taste preferences.
Because of the wide variety of locations, each crawl is different but the main idea is the same: try a lot of coffee.
There are planned routes that participants take to visit participating shops and try their specialty drinks.
Each stop typically also has an educational aspect to it, so even though it is primarily for coffee fans it can also be informative for people in the beverage industry.
Specialty Coffee Expo
From roasters to retailers, the Specialty Coffee Expo was made for coffee professionals.
This annual event is hosted by the Specialty Coffee Association to help connect people to the resources they need to succeed.
While the main event is for people working in the beverage industry, coffee enthusiasts are welcome to come to certain events, like the competitions.
However, the focus is still mainly on professionals in the industry.
While it features workshops and speakers to help your business succeed, one of the most unique parts of the expo is the competitions.
The event features many different contests, like the Best New Product Competition, Coffee Design Awards, and even a Scientific Poster Session. There’s indeed an award for everything!
This makes the event a unique opportunity to impact the future of the industry and to learn about up-and-coming products.
In fact, in 2022, the popular Ember Mug² won the technology category of the new product awards.
National Coffee Association Convention
The National Coffee Association of the U.S.A is based in New York but their annual convention happens at different locations every year.
The 2023 conference will be held in Tampa, Florida.
This is especially exciting because 2023 is the first year it will be back in person after the pandemic caused them to switch to a completely virtual conference.
The NCA is the go-to organization for the latest trends and information on coffee policy and resources.
So their convention is primarily focused on helping coffee professionals connect and learn.
The event features many networking events as well as education opportunities like workshops.
Photos by Manuel V and Brett Styles
