Where food builds community. Weekly Feast with Friends invites guests to gather around the table together in Bestor Plaza and kick off each week of the Chautauqua Institution Food Festival with a warm, welcoming shared meal. Designed to bring people together, this communal dining experience celebrates the joy of connection, conversation, and exceptional food.
Guests will delight in thoughtfully prepared dishes from some of the region’s best caterers, showcasing the flavors, care, and creativity that define our local food community. On Sunday, August 23, the evening will feature 3 C’s Catering, a beloved regional catering company known for bold flavors and generous hospitality.
More than a meal, Weekly Feast with Friends is an opportunity to slow down, share space, and connect with our community, fellow guests, chefs, and community partners. Whether you arrive with friends or sit down with someone new, the experience reflects a simple truth at the heart of the Food Festival: food is one of the most powerful ways we come together.

3 C’s Catering
Theme: Farm to table dinner

Standard (FT = FARM TO TABLE)
FT Italian Sausage with FT peppers and onions
FT parsley buttered potatoes
FT seasonal roasted vegetables 

Vegetarian Option:
White FT ratatouille lasagna,
Homemade Italian bread,
FT seasonal vegetables,
FT tossed salad with homemade Italian dressing

A moving feast of regional flavor. Taste Caravan transforms Bestor Plaza into a rotating showcase of the area’s most exciting restaurants and food trucks, offering guests the opportunity to sample 15–20 different regional establishments each week through thoughtfully prepared small bites.

Food trucks will be available:

Monday–Friday, 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. (Lunch)

Tuesday & Friday, 4:30–8:00 p.m. (Dinner)

Vendors rotate throughout the week, and all offer small bites so guests are encouraged to return often so they can explore the wide range of cuisines, cooking styles, flavors and culinary voices—all in one vibrant, walkable destination located just outside the Amphitheater in Bestor Plaza.

During each Taste Caravan lunch service, guests can enjoy a live culinary demonstration or discussion in the plaza, creating an immersive experience where learning, conversation, and flavor come together. Whether you’re grabbing a quick bite or lingering to sample multiple offerings, Taste Caravan invites you to taste broadly, learn deeply, and celebrate the diversity of our regional food community.

Food/Drink Tickets:

All food vendors only accept Food Festival tickets for payment. The Athenaeum Hotel Beverage Tent & Lounge will accept tickets, cash or card. Tickets can be purchased from one of the two information and ticket tents located within steps of the food vendors.

5 Pack of Tickets: $10

High energy. High stakes. Incredible food. Inspired by competitive cooking shows, Battle of the Bites brings the thrill of a culinary showdown to Bestor Plaza as talented local chefs go head‑to‑head in a fast‑paced, flavor‑driven competition.

Each week features four different chefs and a guest judge. Chefs are given three hours to develop and execute a dish inspired by that week’s featured cuisine, building a cohesive flavor profile that reflects creativity, technique, and personality. At the end of the challenge, each chef presents their dish to the judge—and the community—to determine who has created the best bite of the day.

Battle of the Bites is free to attend, and everyone is welcome to watch the action unfold. Guests who want to taste along with the judge can purchase a tasting ticket, which allows them to sample the same bites being evaluated—making the audience part of the experience.

On August 24, the competition will be judged by celebrity chef Darian Bryan, joining us from Buffalo. The judge for August 17 will be announced in the coming weeks.

Lively, interactive, and deliciously fun, Battle of the Bites celebrates local culinary talent while inviting the community to cheer, taste, and take part in the excitement. (Limited Tasting Tickets sold)