Your Guide to Taste of DC: Parking, Admission, Restaurants and More

The Taste of DC is right around the corner! DC’s largest food, beer, and wine festival takes place over Columbus Day weekend, and you won’t want to miss it. This year’s Taste of DC has something for everyone, with 60 restaurants and more than 100 specialty beers and wines, plus live music, culinary demos, and the sixth annual chili eating competition!

Here are 7 things to know before you go!

Hours:

Saturday, October 8^th from 1 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Sunday, October 9^th from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Parking:

If you’re driving to Taste of DC, save yourself some time by planning ahead! Use SpotHero to compare parking rates and reserve your spot in advance.

Sample rates on Sunday, October 9, 10am-6pm.

Entrances:

Festival Entrance: located at 7th St NW & Pennsylvania Avenue NW. This entrance will be used for the redemption of pre-purchased tickets and day-of ticket sales.

VIP Festival Entrance: located at 3rd St NW & Pennsylvania Avenue NW. This entrance will be used for the redemption of VIP Tastemaker and Tastemaker Plus tickets.

2016 Restaurants, Breweries & Wineries:

A full list of participating restaurants, breweries and wineries can be found here. Priced between $1 and $3, tasting items will be offered by every restaurant, in addition to select menu favorites available for $8 or less. Though some restaurants accept credit/debit cards, Taste of DC recommends bringing plenty of cash.

Admission:

There are 4 different ticketing options at this year’s Taste of DC:

General Admission Tickets include:

Admission to the festival
One drink voucher for a beverage in Restaurant Row, the Bier Garten or Wine Walk
A $10 voucher valid at all Capital Restaurant Concept Ltd. locations, which include J-Pauls, Paolo’s Ristorante, Neyla Mediterranean Bistro, Old Glory Bar-B-Que and Georgia Brown’s
Ability to purchase tastings from more than 60 restaurants in Restaurant Row
All-day entertainment at the Main Stage and Beats & Eats Stage
Cooking demonstrations at the Culinary Stage

Drink Lovers Tickets include everything General Admission tickets offer, plus:

Sample all of your favorite beverages in your new commemorative Taste of DC 2016 cup
$25 worth of beverage tickets, redeemable in the Bier Garten, Wine Walk or Beverage Pods

VIP Tastemaker Tickets include everything Drink Lovers tickets offer, plus:

Private festival entrance courtesy of MGM National Harbor
Lounge seating for you and your friends
Exclusive access to the Specialty Cocktail corner bar, featuring the region’s best mixologists
Luxurious Illy coffee drinks

VIP Tastemaker Plus Tickets include everything VIP Tastemaker tickets offer, plus:

Your choice of one of five curated, expert-led hour-long programs that pair wine, beer, and spirits with high-end comestibles. Only 100 seats per session are available, so secure your spot before it gets gobbled up. You can find more details here.

How Tickets Work:

All restaurant row eateries accept cash, and some accept credit or debit cards. For select beverages, you’ll need beverage tickets, which can be purchased at the festival entrance or on-site ticket booths.

This handy chart tells you when you need a ticket and when you can use cash.

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