World Food Championships in Indianapolis in 2024

Indianapolis, Indiana – Indianapolis will host the World Food Championships in 2024.

A news announcement states that the event will take place from November 8–12 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion will be the focal point of the activity.

International barbecue teams, professional chefs, and home cooks will compete in the World Food Championships. In 12 different categories—bacon, barbecue, burger, chef, dessert, live fire, rice, noodle, sandwich, seafood, soup, and vegetarian—about 1,500 contestants will vie for the title of champion.

The WFC was brought to Indianapolis with assistance from Culinary Crossroads, a statewide branding campaign aimed at highlighting Indiana’s culinary scene.

“Indianapolis is the perfect destination for the World Food Championships, and we are very excited to serve up some great Hoosier hospitality to the competitors, sponsors, exhibitors, and food sports fans in attendance,” Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch said via release. “Hosting the World Food Championships will also highlight the incredible offerings of Indiana State Fairgrounds’ new Farm Bureau Pavilion and Ivy Tech Community College’s Culinary Center. They’ll see firsthand why we are the Culinary Crossroads of America.”

Attendees of the WFC will have the opportunity to witness competitions, sample a wide range of cuisines made by contestants, see cooking demos, and purchase goods from a large number of vendors.

“We’ve had our eye on bringing the WFC to Indy since 2019 when the Lieutenant Governor accompanied us to Dallas, where the competition has been the past few years, and we set a goal to bring the WFC to Indianapolis,” director of Culinary Crossroads Larry Dickerson said in a release. “With the assistance of the leadership of Ivy Tech Community College, the Indiana State Fair, Visit Indy, Team Indiana competitors, and many others, we’ve brought a great idea to fruition and are on our way to establishing Indianapolis as the Food Sports Capital of America.”

In 2012, the WFC was established. To compete in the championships, competitors must first win a Golden Ticket at a qualifying event.

“This is an exciting day for WFC and Food Sport in general,” WFC founder and CEO Mike McCloud said in a release. “Indianapolis is the place where champions are crowned in all types of sporting events and professional and amateur leagues. That reputation, in addition to the diverse culinary scene that has blossomed over the years, makes Indy a perfect home for our main event, where we crown the best cooks and chefs from around the globe in iconic categories of food.”