January, the season of resolution and abstention, is over. A return to indulgence is called for, and why not with a crowd? With that in mind, here are seven food and drink festivals in Las Vegas to take the eating and drinking well into spring.
■ Dream Asia Festival, Feb. 14 to 16, Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. The festival features almost 100 vendors, including top New York City street vendors, presenting dishes from across Asia, as well as Asian fusion items. Cultural performances, a market, and workshops like calligraphy and lantern-making are also on the menu. dreamasiafest.com/lasvegas
■ Las Vegas Wing Fest and Wing Wars Chicken Wing Competition, March 2, Hofbräuhaus, 4510 Paradise Road. Get your gnaw on with all-you-can-enjoy wings, while supplies last, from more than a dozen local wing cookers. Folks vote for their favorites to determine the winners of the competition. Cue finger licking and napkins. eventbrite.com.
■ Brew’s Best Craft Beer Festival, March 22, The Lawn at Downtown Summerlin. Local and national craft breweries, with unlimited sampling, star at this fundraiser for New Vista, a nonprofit that assists people with disabilities. Food trucks, activities and live entertainment round out the day. Participants receive a souvenir tasting glass and guide. newvistanv.org/events
■ Tacos and Tamales Festival, March 28 to 31, Desert Breeze Events Center. It’s four days of traditional and modern tacos and tamales from food trucks, along with tequila tasting, cooking demonstrations, live music, an art contest and lucha libre performances. Vote for your favorites in the taco and tamale competition. tacosandtamaleslv.com
■ Great Vegas Festival of Beer, April 5, Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. Unlimited samples of dozens of beers, ciders and other beverages are on pour, joined by food purveyors offering empanadas, fish and chips, burgers, barbecue, Greek food, pizza, corn dogs, doughnuts and more. greatvegasbeer.com
■ FoodieLand Food Festival, April 18 to 20, Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The festival, which has sibling gatherings in Arizona, California, Texas and Washington state, presents more than 110 food vendors and more than 85 merchandise vendors, plus games and live entertainment. foodielandnm.com/las-vegas
■ UNLVino Grand Tasting, May 2, Thomas & Mack Center. UNLVino, Nevada’s OG wine fundraiser, celebrates 50 years with its Grand Tasting of hundreds of wines and other sips. Southern Glazer’s Wine, Spirits & Beer of Nevada presents UNLVino. Proceeds benefit the UNLV William F. Harrah College of Hospitality. As of posting, the event website is live but ticket sales have not begun. unlvino.com
Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.