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Where are the giant turkey legs? There weren’t any at the Taste of Vail, Scott Evans told his disappointed 8-year-old son.

There were, however, every variety of delectable beef bites and tastings from nearly 100 top wineries at the Après in the Streets event last month. It showcased the “Nose-to-Tail Chef Challenge,” a group of 16 Vail and guest chefs going head-to-head in a culinary face-off featuring Colorado’s premier Fitch Ranch’s grass-fed, humanely raised beef. Chefs were given an unknown cut of beef and used their skills to create inventive dishes.

First place went to 8100 Mountainside Bar & Grill and YouthPower 365, juniper berries and sambuca sirloin gravlax with potato waffles, yuzu caviar and micro greens; second place to Leonora, tongue and cheek salsa verde, lime crema, pickled onions, salsa roja and cilantro.

Not exactly kid-friendly food, though there were sliders, short ribs and in the Portuguese wine tent, yummy Portuguese custard tarts (Pasteis de Nata). Many families with their pooches crowded Vail Village; another food and wine event was held at the top of the mountain with bragging rights to being the highest elevation food and wine festival in the country. In its 32nd year, the nonprofit festival draws thousands from around the country. (Kudos to the dog- friendly Lodge at Vail where we stayed in the Village.)

Locals like Scott Evans and his family came to check out what local chefs were up to. Others, like Katie Upton and Stephanie Burns, had come from the East Coast for a quick gal getaway.“Anything food and wine is fun,” Upton said.

Summer, of course, is festival season and whether you take the kids or go while the kids are otherwise occupied, they are a great bet to experience something new, whether food, brews, music and more. Some last for weeks, others just a few days. Some are free, others charge, supporting nonprofits and community events.

Upcoming Memorial Day weekend typically signals the start of summer travel season, AAA projects 43.8 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Memorial Day holiday travel period, an increase from last year and close to 2005’s record of 44 million Memorial Day travelers.

Consider adding a summer festival to your travels or make one the focus of a getaway. Just make sure you plan ahead for accommodations at some of the most popular ones.

Check out the free outdoor concerts in San Francisco’s parks and neighborhoods through the summer, including Golden Gate Park’s “Illuminate Live” concert series at the band shell and the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival.

The free, kid- friendly Smithsonian Folklife Festival takes over the National Mall in Washington, D.C., (this year June 26 to July 1) focusing on the indigenous voices of the Americas in celebration of the National Museum of the American Indian. There are always food demonstrations, music, and plenty of special programming for kids. Experience ancestral foods like the Three Sisters (beans, corn, and squash) and inventive, sustainable cuisine. Learn stories that underlie indigenous sports and games.

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