The Institution features various themes over its nine-week season. The final week of the season, titled “At The Table: Our Changing Relationship With Food,” is focused primarily on food.

“So, we wanted to create a different kind of experience for week nine, a festival experience,” said marketing manager Vanessa Weinert. “And this is the first year we’re doing something of this magnitude in Bestor Plaza.”

Weinert mentioned that Chautauqua Institution had tried a similar festival in the past that focused on food sustainability but emphasized that this year’s festival was much larger. Another first for the Institution was the beverage tent set up on Bestor Plaza offering beer and wine.

Monday’s theme was “The Ultimate Chef Experience,” featuring an Ultimate Cheeseburger Challenge and a Nickel City Chef Tournament. Vendors were posted underneath tents that included Cutco Cutlery, Marble + Rye, Oliver’s, Giancarlo’s, Labyrinth Press Co., 2 Ames and Wood Fired Flatbreads.

P-J photo by Jordan W. Patterson

The Ultimate Cheeseburger Challenge featured Jacques Pepin as a judge while Joseph Fenush and Michael Dimmer competed.

Everybody attending took a break from the Food Festival to take a moment and stare into the sky. Solar eclipse glasses were sported by many patrons as the “Eclipse of the Century” passed over head.

Tickets for Food and Drink cost $10 for a five-pack of tickets.

Each day of the week has a separate sub-theme of the broader theme that is food. Tuesday’s theme was the “Taste of Chautauqua” and featured local restaurants. Wednesday is “Larkinville Food Truck Pop-Up,” Thursday features “The Ultimate Wine Tasting” and Friday’s theme will be “Homesteading & Artisanal Market.”

Monday’s main attraction, other than the solar eclipse, was the Nickel City Chef Tournament. It featured three rounds: two preliminary rounds and one final round. The first round featured Edward Forster of The Dapper Goose versus Victor Parra Gonzalez of Las Puertas. The second round Jennifer Boye of Elm Street Bakery versus Adam Goetz of The Craving.

The host of the Nickel City Chef Bert Zambini was commentating the competition and commented on the importance of the first ever Food Festival at Chautauqua Institution.

“I’m having a great time,” said. “I think it’s a great way to spread the word about what we’re doing in Western New York, how we are treating ingredients, how were presenting local ingredients but most of all I think it’s a good way to educate about the local foods.”

Chautauqua Institution’s 2017 season will continue through Friday. There are also performances later in the evening at the Amphitheater. Tickets will also need to be purchased for additional performances in the Amphitheater.

For more information on the Food Festival visit CHQ.org/FoodFestival.