The third annual Hawaii Food & Wine Festival returns to Oahu Sept. 1–9, and the lineup is pretty gay. Out chefs and former Top Chef Masters contestants Art Smith (Chicago’s Table 52 and Oprah’s fave cook, pictured) and Anita Lo (New York’s Annisa) are among the new celebrity kitchen maters slated to appear. They’ll join returning luminaries Nobu Matsuhisa (of Nobu) and Hubert Keller (San Francisco’s Fleur de Lys). About the only way to make a vacation to Hawaii better is to surround yourself with mouthwatering food. For more information, visit HawaiiFoodandWineFestival.com
For some food and wine festivals close to home — but in no less beautiful surroundings — Colorado holds several throughout the year. The Colorado Lavender Festival blooms in Palisade July 12–14, with tours of lavender farms as well as cooking demos; the Telluride Mushroom Festival (mid-August — dates to be announced) takes over the gay-friendly mountain town just before its celebrated film festival, which itself takes place just before the Telluride Blues and Brews Fest (Sept. 12–15), a mix of beer and music.
