The highly anticipated Cabbage, Potato, and Bacon Festival returns for its second year, bringing an expanded lineup of culinary delights, entertainment, and family-friendly activities. Attendees can look forward to an unforgettable weekend celebrating the rich agricultural heritage of Hastings while enjoying exceptional food, live entertainment, and engaging community events. This year, the festival is bigger and better, featuring returning favorites alongside exciting new additions.

New This Year

Brunch Tasting Event

The festival kicks off with a carefully curated brunch experience, where attendees can savor a selection of exquisite dishes crafted by talented chefs. The brunch will showcase unique flavors and innovative recipes featuring cabbage, potatoes, and bacon.

Taste of Hastings: Family-Style Dinner

A reinvented dining experience, this four-course feast embraces the spirit of togetherness with a communal setting, live entertainment, and farm-fresh ingredients. Guests will be treated to a culinary journey that highlights local traditions and flavors.

Festival-goers can also anticipate a dynamic music lineup featuring local and regional artists, as well as an expanded array of vendors in the Cottage Artisan Market, offering everything from handcrafted goods to fresh produce and specialty food items.

Culinary Experiences

The festival proudly welcomes back renowned Host Chef Hari Pulapaka, a culinary visionary and founder of the Global Cooking School. Accompanying him is celebrated Chef Art Smith, known for his dedication to community-based culinary education and his remarkable contributions to the industry. This year, the festival is honored to introduce Chef John Rivers, the founder of the 4R Foundation, making his debut as a featured festival chef.

Chef Pulapaka’s Global Cooking School is dedicated to fostering culinary sustainability and wellness through immersive cooking experiences. Chef Smith continues to champion childhood nutrition and culinary education through his nonprofit initiatives, while Chef Rivers brings a commitment to sustainable farming and community support through the 4R Foundation. Together, these culinary masters will lead festival attendees through an unforgettable weekend of exceptional flavors, innovative cooking techniques, and educational demonstrations.

Rooted Elegance: A Benefit Dinner for Hastings Main Street

Friday, April 25 | 6 PM | Michael's St. Augustine, 117 Vilano Rd., St. Augustine (Hyatt Place Vilano Beach)

Presented by VIVA Hospitality in collaboration with the James Beard Foundation This exclusive benefit dinner provides an extraordinary dining experience, highlighting the region’s agricultural heritage while supporting the revitalization of Hastings Main Street. Guests will enjoy an unparalleled culinary showcase featuring thoughtfully prepared dishes that reflect the area’s rich flavors and traditions. Tickets: $250

Guest Chef Lineup:

Chef Art Smith
Chef Hari Pulapaka
Chef Nils Rowland
Chef Michael Lugo
Chef Natasha Olivera
Sommelier Jenneffer Pulapaka

This prestigious event not only supports the continued restoration and enhancement of Hastings Main Street but also aligns with the James Beard Foundation’s mission to uplift and celebrate culinary talent, sustainability, and equity in the food industry.

Live Cooking Demos & Taste of Hastings Brunch

Saturday, April 26 | 11 AM - 2:30 PM | N. Main Street, Hastings

The festival’s culinary programming begins with an engaging live cooking demonstration featuring celebrated chefs John Rivers and Hari Pulapaka. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the art of cooking as they observe these renowned chefs in action, learning about innovative techniques, ingredient selection, and recipe creation. Following the demonstration, guests can indulge in a delectable Brunch Tasting, where ten talented chefs line Main Street to serve up creative and flavorful dishes inspired by the festival’s star ingredients—cabbage, potatoes, and bacon. Tickets: $35 (Includes tastings & a signature cocktail)

Brunch Chef Lineup:

Chef Hari Pulapaka
Chef John Rivers
Chef Ellie Shultze
Chef DeJuan Roy
Chef Ned Pollack
Chef Sebastian Sikora
Jenn Ashton, Juniper Market
Chef Paul Brock
FCTC Culinary Arts
Chef Zan Llanza, AsadoLife

Family-Style Dinner

Saturday, April 26 | 5 - 9 PM

The festival’s marquee dining experience, the Family-Style Dinner, offers a four-course meal crafted by top chefs using farm-fresh, locally sourced ingredients. The evening celebrates the farm-to-table movement, bringing guests together over a shared love for food and community.

Chef Lineup:

Chef Hari Pulapaka (Global Cooking School)
Chef Michael Lugo (VIVA Hospitality)
Chef Josh Agan (Routes: Culinary Travels)
Chef Natasha Olivera (VIVA Hospitality)
Chef Matt Brown (AsadoLife)

Tickets: $75 (Includes dinner & live entertainment)

The Great Hastings Mow Down

Saturday, April 26 | 12 - 4:30 PM | N. Main Street, Hastings

Race for glory and claim ribbons and trophies in multiple heats! The Open Stock Adult (18+) division is limited to 24 participants—register early to secure your spot. Paid entries include a commemorative event T-shirt.

Spectators can enjoy the excitement from the sidelines or join the Mow Down Parade, where participants creatively decorate their mowers and showcase them to the community.

The Miss Potato Queen Beauty Pageant

Sunday, April 27 | Noon - 4:30 PM | 418 N. Main Street, Hastings, FL

Step into the spotlight and compete for the coveted title of Miss Potato Queen at the Cabbage, Potato, and Bacon Festival!

This highly anticipated pageant welcomes contestants from surrounding counties, offering age categories ranging from newborns to 23 years old. Participants will showcase their charm, confidence, and stage presence in a celebration of elegance and tradition.

Join us on Sunday, April 27, from Noon to 4:30 PM, for an unforgettable event that highlights the beauty, poise, and personality of its contestants. Whether you're competing or cheering from the audience, this pageant promises an afternoon of excitement and community spirit!

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.hastingsfl.org/cabbage-potato-bacon-festival

Gear Up for Family Fun at the Hastings Cabbage, Potato, and Bacon Festival!

April 26 & 27, 2025