California's First-Ever French Fry Festival Is Coming to Los Angeles

Where the Festival Is and How to Get There

The festival is held at The Autry Museum in Griffith Park, one of LA’s more scenic outdoor event venues. The museum sits at 4700 Western Heritage Way, tucked into the eastern edge of the park, with wide outdoor grounds that have hosted food events before.

Festival Details

Location: The Autry Museum, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles

Date: July 11

Hours: 11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., or until 9:00 p.m. for evening session ticket holders

Early Session: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Afternoon Session: 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Evening Session: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Getting There: Drive directly to Griffith Park, or take the Metro Red/Purple Line to Vermont/Sunset and grab a short rideshare

The staggered entry should help keep crowds manageable, so pick whichever window fits your plans. That said, the afternoon slot tends to be prime time for LA food festivals, especially if you want the full buzz without staying out late.

What to Expect: A Lot of Fries

Festival-goers can expect a curated lineup of food truck vendors serving everything from waffle fries, curly fries, tornado potatoes, potato wedges, poutine, sweet potato fries, Cajun fries, beef tallow fries, and more. The fries aren’t playing backup here. They’re the whole reason to show up.

Guests can also explore "Sauce City," an interactive sauce bar featuring everything from classic ketchup and garlic parmesan to truffle aioli, chili cheese, spicy honey mustard, sriracha blends, and experimental flavors crafted exclusively for the event. Fifteen-plus sauces, apparently. If you've ever argued about the correct dipping sauce for fries, and you have, this is your arena.

Beyond the fries themselves, the event includes retro games, a throwback vintage flea market, and fun for all ages.

The Entertainment: Yes, There's a Fry Eating Contest

The festival features live entertainment throughout the day including a French fry eating contest, blindfold fry-tasting challenges, cooking demonstrations with a surprise guest chef, french fry flights, sharable fry buckets, and dessert-inspired potato creations.

The blindfold challenge is genuinely interesting, the idea being that you can identify a fry style purely by texture and flavor, without seeing it. Whether that's easy or humbling probably depends on how often you think about fries. The cooking demo with a surprise guest chef is the wildcard worth watching; demos at events like this tend to surface the most creative preparations of the day.

Who's Behind It

The festival is presented by Bucket Listers in partnership with Street Food Cinema. Bucket Listers has built a reputation for exactly this kind of food-forward, experience-first event, the kind that's designed to be as shareable as it is edible. Street Food Cinema, meanwhile, has years of experience producing outdoor events in LA, and the Autry is one of their regular venues.

The event is timed to coincide with National French Fry Day, which falls on July 10 this year, close enough that the festival serves as its unofficial kick-off celebration.

Tickets: What You'll Pay

• General Admission: Starts at around $30 per person, including fees

• Kids' Tickets (Ages 3–12): $24.65 per person, including fees

• Group Tickets: A 6-pack GA option, priced for five, runs $151.13; a 12-pack, priced for ten, is $302.25

• VIP Tickets: Start at $64.43 per person and are available for guests 21 and older

• VIP Includes: Skip-the-line access, a bag of fries, a welcome cocktail, and entry to the VIP area

Food and drinks are purchased separately on-site using a token system. One token gets you a bag of fries for $7, but if you plan to eat your way through the vendor lineup, the bundles make more sense: a 4-pack is $22 and an 8-pack is $40. All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges

This is one of those LA events that works because it knows exactly what it is: sunny, silly, snacky, and completely committed to the bit. It’s a festival about french fries, which means no one has to overthink it. Show up hungry, bring the friend who has strong sauce opinions, and give yourself permission to spend an afternoon in Griffith Park treating crispy potatoes like the main event they’ve always deserved to be.

Frequently Asked Questions: LA French Fry Festival

When is the LA French Fry Festival?

Saturday, July 11, 2026.

Where is it held?

At the Autry Museum of the American West, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA, inside Griffith Park.

What time does it run?

Three sessions are available: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

How much do tickets cost?

General admission starts at around $30 per person with fees. Kids' tickets for ages 3–12 are $24.65 including fees. VIP tickets, available for guests 21 and older, start at around $64 and include a welcome cocktail, a bag of fries, and VIP area access.

Is it family-friendly?

Yes. The festival is open to all ages. Children three and older require tickets. The venue is also wheelchair accessible.

What kinds of fries will be there?

Vendors will serve shoestring, steak, waffle, curly, crinkle-cut, Cajun, sweet potato, beef tallow fries, poutine, tornado potatoes, and more.

What is "Sauce City"?

An interactive sauce bar with 15+ dipping options, from ketchup and garlic parmesan to truffle aioli, chili cheese, sriracha blends, and festival-exclusive experimental flavors.

Do I need to buy food separately from the entry ticket?

Yes. Entry gets you into the festival; food and drinks are purchased on-site using a token system. Single tokens ($7) get you one bag of fries, with bundle packs available.

Are pets allowed?

No. Animals are not permitted at the festival.

What's the refund policy?

All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges are available, so make sure you can attend before purchasing.