Get ready for the inaugural ‘Big Queer Food Fest’ in Boston. Here’s when it is

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• The Big Queer Food Fest is coming to Boston
• The event will feature several celebrity chefs
• The food festival will last for a week

Get ready for Boston’s first ever Big Queer Food Fest.

A week-long food festival that celebrates ” LGBTQIA+ contributions to the culinary world,” the event will include dinners, wine tastings, conversations, and book signing.

“Founded in 2023 as a series of pop up dinners, chef collaborations and culinary events centered on queer chefs and food producers, (the food fest) has rapidly grown its culinary and cultural footprint across the US hosting large and small scale one-off events in cities like Los Angeles, New York City and Nashville, Tennessee, among others,” according to a release about the event.

The event is being co-hosted by Meet Boston.

Here’s what to know about the Big Queer Food Fest.

When is the Big Queer Food Fest?

It is a week-long event that will be held from April 28 – May 4, 2025.

What will the festival look line in Boston?

This is the first time the festival will last a week.

“We’re thrilled to expand (the festival) into a weeklong experience that celebrates both the incredible talent within the LGBTQIA+ food community and Boston’s diverse culinary landscape,” Chad Hahne, co-founder of the food festival said. “We’re creating a platform where food becomes a powerful medium for expression, celebration, and community building.”

The event will feature a variety of dynamic happenings across the city, showcasing celebrated chefs, restaurants, entertainers, and tastemakers from both local and national stages. The week will culminate in a “two-day grand tasting on May 3 and 4, which will transform High Street Place Food Hall and adjacent outdoor space in Boston’s Financial District into an epicenter of food, drink, entertainment and community,” according to a release.

Chefs at the food festival will include James Beard Award winners Karen Akunowicz, Rick Martinez, and Andy Baraghani, and Culinary innovator Jon Kung.  Additional culinary superstars on hand will include Boston’s own Tiffani Faison, Tatiana Rosana, and Robert Gonzalez among others.  

“The BQFF celebrates and spotlights so many aspects of Boston that make us proud – our inclusive culture, amazing culinary scene, vibrant downtown neighborhood, and the ability to put on some dynamic world-class festivals,” Meet Boston President and CEO Martha J. Sheridan said in a release. “Boston boasts some of the top chefs in the country, with a community of LGBTQIA+ culinary creators that have truly revolutionized our food scene.”

The food festival partnered with two Massachusetts-based non-profits on this event.

They include Community Servings (which combats food insecurity) and BAGLY (Boston Alliance of LGBTQ+ Youth), which provides visibility and support for Boston-area LGBTQIA+ youth programs.

Where can tickets for the event be purchased?

Tickets can be purchased at www.bigqueerfoodfest.com.

Updates on festival programming, participating talent, travel information and sponsorship opportunities can be found at that website as well or @bigqueerfoodfest on social media.