Outdoor Food and Beer Festivals Around CT

CTvisit’s weekend guide for May 15-17, 2026, points travelers toward a cluster of outdoor food and beer events across Connecticut, led by the three-day CT Food Truck Battles Festival in Wolcott. The state tourism site framed this weekend’s lineup around “Spring Beer Fests” and listed food, brewery and community events in multiple towns. The listings include single-day beer gatherings, multi-day food festivals and brewery-linked promotions, according to CTvisit. ### Which Connecticut events are on the weekend list? May 15-17 is the date range CTvisit uses for its current “Things to do this weekend in CT” roundup. The site’s editor’s picks include the CT Food Truck Battles Festival at Woodtick Rec area in Wolcott from Friday through Sunday, Thread City Hop Fest at Jillson Square on May 17, and Beer It Forward Day listed as a statewide event on May 16. CTvisit also lists Friday Feast & Dancing Feet in Litchfield on May 15 among its food-related weekend highlights. (ctvisit.com) Jillson Square in Willimantic is named by CTvisit as the site of Thread City Hop Fest on Sunday, May 17. The statewide listing for Beer It Forward Day does not include expanded details in the search result, but CTvisit places it alongside the weekend’s featured events. ### What is happening in Wolcott at CT Food Truck Battles? The CT Food Truck Battles Festival runs May 15-17 at Woodtick Rec area, 201 Nichols Road, Wolcott, according to CTvisit’s event page. (ctvisit.com) The listing describes the event as stretching across more than three acres and says it will feature 50 mobile food vendors, more than 100 crafters, a carnival with more than 15 rides and games, two live music stages and food-eating contests hosted by comedian Dave Reilly. Eight breweries will compete in brewery battles at the Wolcott event, the CTvisit page says. The same listing says Friday includes a 9:30 p.m. fireworks show, while Saturday night features HUGO The Ultimate Journey Tribute. Admission is listed at $10 for adults, with children 10 and under, seniors and military admitted free; Saturday concert seating starts at $30 and includes festival entry, according to CTvisit. (ctvisit.com) ### How much of this weekend is beer-focused? May 16 is identified by CTvisit as Beer It Forward Day, a statewide event on the weekend calendar. May 17 brings Thread City Hop Fest, which CTvisit places among its editor’s picks for the same weekend. The tourism site’s weekend landing page also uses the phrase “Spring Beer Fests” in its presentation of the May 15-17 lineup. March 2026 updates on CTvisit’s broader annual events page show the state tourism office separately categorizing food-and-drink events as part of Connecticut’s recurring event calendar. (ctvisit.com) That page cites larger annual culinary events later in the year, including the Norwalk Oyster Festival, giving context for why the agency highlights food and drink programming in seasonal weekend guides. (ctvisit.com) ### Where can readers check the full statewide lineup? CTvisit’s “Things to do this weekend in CT” page is the main statewide listing for May 15-17. The page lets readers sort by date range, event type, region and town, and it includes both editor’s picks and additional categories such as live music, fairs and festivals, and foodie events. May 17 is the next key date on that page for readers looking beyond Friday and Saturday. (ctvisit.com) CTvisit lists Thread City Hop Fest in Willimantic for Sunday, while the CT Food Truck Battles Festival continues through Sunday afternoon in Wolcott, with posted hours of 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on May 17. (ctvisit.com)