Some eschew crowds, some love 'em. Count me in the latter group. I've planned several past vacations around food festivals of all sorts - chili festivals (Hatch, NM), crawfish festivals (Breaux Bridge, LA - great), shrimp festivals (Rockport, TX), garlic festivals (Gilroy, CA), a barbecue and blues festival (Pensacola, FL), a blueberry festival (somewhere in MI), and lots and lots of BBQ and/or chili cook-offs. This afternoon, we may be headed to the Chicken Fried Steak festival in Lamesa, TX (about 45 minutes from here).

We've also been to numerous music festivals, flower festivals, and local heritage/founders days type events.

At all these events, we enjoy the people, the food, the live music, the arts and crafts, the festival atmosphere. There are times when you want peace and seclusion, but I've never not enjoyed myself at a festival.

BTW, I've been to Rockland, and the entire area is quite lovely. Particularly fond of Camden.