I’m going to be honest, I had never heard of the Summer Fancy Food show before until a friend/co-worker told me about it one day at an event. As soon as she mentioned it I looked it up and was instantly intrigued. As someone who travels internationally and blogs about everything including food and drinks and all the activities I do, this seemed like a no brainer in me wanting to attend. Not only that, but the fact that I’ve done and continue to do Brand Ambassador work in which I help promote products and brands…yes, I needed to figure out how I could be a part of this event.

I enjoy the travel service that I began by helping people learn to budget travel all the while while sharing my adventures in budget traveling. Because I encompass the essence of travel, I went out on a leap of faith and saw that there was a press pass application on their website. I knew that this would be a great opportunity for Traveler’s Montage to cover this event. The worst that could happen is a “no” but I figured a “yes” may be possible and I told myself, that if it gets accepted no matter what that I was going to go. I was in Warsaw, Poland on a trip when I found out my press pass application for Traveler’s Montage to attend the 2025 Summer Fancy Food Show was accepted and that was indeed a highlight of my trip, receiving that good news. God told me to go, network and doors will open and I accepted the challenge.

Now I needed to plan, I needed to get an Airbnb and I figured that New Jersey was the best place seeing as though New York has had issues with people using Airbnb. I found a nice place near public transportation at a decent price and booked it for the days I’d be in town. I figured it’d be best to drive as I wanted to be able to bring back as many samples/freebies/giveaways as I could (luckily the Airbnb had parking). Because I’ve worked events like this before I know that usually on the last day that vendors and brands are trying to give away what’s left so they don’t have to pack it up and take it if they came from far away. Knowing this, I secured a parking reservation via Spothero in advance only 3 blocks away from Javitz Convention Center where the event was being held. I was set and ready.

I had a good month’s notice and before you know it the time came to go. My cart was already in the trunk of my SUV from the Giant Barbeque Battle last weekend so I took that along with a bookbag, and a few different tote bags (one being my really big Bonaire bag). I ended up leaving around 5am on Sunday morning and I like to avoid tolls so you can say I ended up going the scenic route to New Jersey but it didn’t take long (less time than I had expected). I had already told my host that I was just planning to come early and park and that I would head into the city on the bus.

María met me outside and assisted me with parking. Because I arrived a little earlier than expected (around 9am) I took a moment to rest in the car (especially seeing as though I didn’t sleep that great or long the night before) and then proceeded to the bus stop around the corner. The bus didn’t come on time and I was out there waiting for nearly an hour standing in the heat (and there were no seats anywhere). This also wasn’t the only bus I needed to catch. I would have to take one bus to a stop and then transfer onto another bus. The NJ MTA app was a bit confusing to navigate at first but after the first day I understood. As much frustration that I ended up having with the bus it should’ve all been free.

Finally when the bus came I rode to my next stop and eventually transfered onto the 2nd bus. That bus dropped us off at Port Authority and on the way I had a nice nap on the bus because between the heat and the fact that I was already tired I took advantage of a seat and about a 30-40 minute ride. Once at Port Authority I walked from there to Javitz which took about 15-20 minutes. By the time I arrived it was around noon and I was exhausted but I was here and excited to see everything. Once inside I went to Registration to receive my press pass but had to go to a different line that was long (I think I spent 40 minutes in line). Finally I had my press pass and proceeded downstairs onto the floor.

I initially wanted to do the River Pavillion first but I think with me being outside a bit longer waiting on the bus I opted to be indoors and the escalator leading down were right there so down the escalator I went. I was happy to see some beverage booths upon entering as I was thirsty (even though water stations were set-up throughout the floor). I first connected with Maura at Island Homemade Ice Cream where I tried some delicious Peppermint Stick ice cream and we got to know each other. She was such a delight to talk to and very intrigued as to what I do and my favorite travel places so I gave her my top 5 (in no particular order-London, Guatemala, Panama, Norway and Jordan). She told me to come back if I wanted more ice cream and I sure did the next day.

Now I won’t go into everyone I spoke with but will highlight the ones that I really connected with and the products I really enjoyed. The next best connection from day one was Carolyn over at Hydrogen Infused Water (HTWO). Black owned and women owned, Carolyn and I really connected and her hydrogen infused water was very good and refreshing. I liked everything from the packaging to the flavors and she told me all about it. I tried a few different samples my favorite being the Island Plus Punch (she gave me one to take) and it leaves you feeling very hydrated. (I ended up going back by day 2 to chat with her again).

Then there’s Ryan over at Ragin’ Cajun who had a whole line of New Orleans inspired seasonings on the table. After speaking with him we agreed that I’d pick a product, shout them out and give them a review so I opted for the blackening seasoning because surprisingly I don’t have any (I’m excited to use it the next time I make salmon).

One things for sure, I ate and drank my way around the floor every day I was there. At some point each day I couldn’t eat anymore food because I would be so full from all of the samples. Here are some of the most interesting things from day one that I tried:

• Safie Crispy Hot Dill Pickled Carrots-The best way to describe it is like eating a dill pickle but instead of a pickle it’s a carrot. It’s really really good (I visited her day two too).

• MELISSA Honey Spark Drink-This can only has about 3-4 ingredients and upon taste is so refreshing. It’s defintely a carbonated honey drink I could enjoy on the regular.

• High Ground Mushroom-Infused Elixir Yuzu Lime Sparkling Beverage-All I can say is very very good (and you can’t taste the mushrooms because I myself am not a fan of mushrooms).

• African Dream Foods Lemon Garlic Peri-Peri Hot Sauce-I told Natasha at the booth I like hot so she let me go down the line of their hot sauces and this one was the winner (I can’t wait to add it to some fried fish-I did, it was good and the bottle is almost empty already).

The show was scheduled from 10am-5pm today and by the time 5pm came around my Bonaire bag and bookbag were both full of goodies (and they were heavy). Because it was the first day, they had an hour afternoon block party scheduled right out front. It was a chance to network further, go to food trucks, get some more free samples, play games hear music and get drinks. I needed a break though and sat down for what I intended to be 20 minutes but it turned into 40 minutes. So for the last 20 minutes I enjoyed the block party and once 6pm came I was ready to go, because afterall I had to hike all the way back to New Jersey to my Airbnb and this time with added weight and ankles that were killing me.

I’ve been to New York many times before (moreso within recent years to fly in/out of JFK) and one thing about me there is I don’t take cabs or the city bus but I will walk and catch the train all day. I walked back to Port Authority and caught my 1st bus (of course it was delayed). Once in New Jersey I got off and transfered onto my 2nd bus but I had to wait awhile and by now I just wanted to lay down because my feet and back were killing me. Finally the bus came and it dropped me off. I very slowly and painfully made my way to the steps and inside and up to my room. Once inside I stripped out of my clothes, into my pajamas and crashed onto the bed for a few hours.

After I had some time to just rest I got up, washed up and sorted through day one’s goods. I was still very full from earlier so I ate very little. What I got for day one wasn’t bad and there were some things I wanted to get more of so I made notes. My host messaged me to let me know I would have to move my vehicle to the other side in the morning for street cleaning so I set my alarm for 7am. I took my meds, put on my compression ankle sleeves, propped a pillow up under my back and passed out. It was honestly one of the best sleeps I’ve had in a while.

The next morning I got up feeling better and moved my car to the other side. I was hoping I’d be able to come back in and go back to sleep but I wasn’t really able to so I used that time to post all of the vendors/brands that I told I would post about them on Instagram and I tagged them. Today my plan was to get there closer to around 10:30am but that didn’t quite happen. I made every intention in making that happen from looking up bus times to know exactly when the bus would be coming but that did no good. I left the house at 9:20am and I arrived at Javitz at 12:20pm. I was furious because the 1st bus was delayed by more than an hour and I’m outside standing in the heat waiting and waiting yet again.

By the time I had to transfer buses at the next stop I was so worn out and exhausted from the heat and having to stand in it. Walking from Port Authority to Javitz I took my time because I felt dehydrated and exhausted before my day had really begun and the 1st thing I did upon entry into Javitz was find the beverage vendors and drink as much as possible to give me a boost and then I indulged in the food. I decided to revisit some the vendors I went to yesterday to either say hello or to get more of their product. This was day 2 and the hours were also 10am-5pm and seeing as though I arrived late again, I needed to make the most of the time I had left.

Yesterday I did about 2/3 of the bottom floor and by the end of day 2 I had done a wraparound of the entire bottom floor (I was hoping to get upstairs but because I doublebacked to some people I didn’t have enough time to explore any other level). Here are some of the most interesting things from day two that I tried:

• Frujava Sunrise Strawberry Lemonade Organic Energy Drink-A very tasty drink that you wouldn’t think of as an energy drink but it’s good.

• Coffeenade Lemon Coffee-I definitely stopped by and saw them twice and never thought of this concept but it works really well and tastes great.

• Beanhut Vietnamese Latte-This has to be the best coffee that I’ve tasted in a pouch and all you do is add water. Honestly would love to be a brand ambassador for them just for product. So so good!

• KKokdam Flower Kombucha-I really liked kombucha at one point but scaled back but this kombucha was really good and I would drink it.

• Wai Lana Purple Sweet Potato Rosemary Herb Chips-I’m not a fan of sweet potato but I could definitely snack on these chips and go through a bag quick.

• Hillside Lane Farm Ginger Garlic Cheese Spread-Get you a good cracker and this so good. Amos and I had a nice chat over at his booth about a possible collaboration.

•  Silver Swallow Non Alcoholic Bubbly-A great alternative if you don’t drink alcohol.

• Hamdard Sharbat Roohafza-The lovely man at this booth was so nice and elated to hear that I help market products. Once I told him I absolutely loved this drink (it’s unlike anything I’ve ever had in a good way), he loaded me up with some take home packets and gave me some seasonings. (I went back the next day too and got more).

By the time 5pm hit my bags were fuller and heavier than yesterday (which is the goal) but I was dreading the trek home because yet again my ankles and feet by now were killing me. Getting home was much worse on day 2 because the buses were even more delayed by hours. It took over an over for the 1st bus to arrive and when it finally dropped me off at my transfer stop I had just missed the 2nd bus I neeed to take. I was livid to no end as I had to wait another hour for the bus to come with a mentally ill man at the stop with me (he didn’t bother me though).

To make matters worse after the bus finally did come I had to stand since it was full and it missed my stop. I had to walk about 4 extra blocks back and by now I was cursing. Crawling up to my room today was a lot more painful than yesterday as my feet literally were throbbing and felt like they were burning. With all the weight and the pressure I just laid in bed to get off them to try to give them some relief. All I could think was thank God I would be driving in the city tomorrow and parking nearby so I wouldn’t have to worry about the bus.

I got washed up and ate some of the cooked samples I stashed in my bag and went through day 2’s goodie bag. I knew I wanted to leave my host a goodie bag so I made one up for her and left it on the table since I’d be checking out in the morning. I decided to do my social media and tagging posts that night for vendors and opted to get up early and pack. I did my nightly routine by taking my meds, and put on both my ankle compression sleeves and arthritis gloves and went to sleep. Despite being in pain I still managed to sleep well and for that I was thankful.

So much for getting up early as I didn’t wake up on day 3 when I wanted to. The show hours for today were 10am-3pm and I had two areas I still needed to cover the upper level and the River Pavillion. My parking reservation began at 9:30am and I woke up around 8am. I didn’t take long to pack because I didn’t really unpack but taking all of my goodie bags downstairs would require a few trips. Once the SUV was loaded with everything I sent my host a message thanking her and a picture of where she could find her goodie bag. Now by 9am I was pulling off headed for the parking reservation I had in New York. Getting into the city didn’t take as much time as getting out of New Jersey did. I somehow avoided paying tolls so it took me the roundabout way.

Once in Manhattan, navigating the streets was a breeze. I was a bit nervous as it’s been over a decade since I last drove in New York but I remembered it being intimidating. This city girl this time had everything under control and was whipping through those streets. Once I arrived at the parking garage they were backed up into the street. I waited for 40 minutes at the parking garage alone and actually had to leave my car parked on the ramp leading into it because they were full below at the time (despite me having a reservation). I grabbed my cart out of the trunk and headed toward Javitz with it, my big Bonaire bag and backpack empty ready for the last day.

I only lost about an hour today so that still left me with 4 hours. The last day is usually the day when vendors are eager to give away what they have left especially if they’ve traveled a distance because they don’t want to have to pack it up and send it back so that’s why I had my cart, to put all the heavy items in. I wanted to stop by only 3 booths downstairs again and then I headed upstairs. The Asha Noodle girls said they’d have boxes of noodles for me today but they had given most of it away (but they still managed to hook me up).

I stopped by Beanhut to get more Vietnamese Coffee packets and by Hamdard to get more of the Sharbat Roohafza drink (the man gave me a bottle that was equal to 9 packets and told me I could take more packets which I did). A woman walked by me at one point and said, “It was dangerous for me to have my cart on the salesfloor” and I just looked at her and ignored her. Well she must’ve told on me because a few minutes later a convention center employee found me and told me I couldn’t have my cart on the floor and that I’d have to coat check it. Annoyed, I went to coat check.

At coat check they expected me to pay to check my cart and I don’t know how much it was but the mere idea of paying was out of the question for me so I just took my cart back to the SUV in the garage and by now they had moved it down in a good convenient location which made it easy to get to. Since I was there I unloaded everything I had collected so far that way I would be able to go back and start fresh (unfortunately without the cart). I made my way back to Javitz to keep at it.

It was time to finally see what was upstairs and it was mainly the country Italy. Everywhere you turned there were meats and cheeses of all different kinds (you could build a whole charcuterie tray just from going up and down a few aisles). It took me back to me and my mom’s trip to Italy last year as I indulged in just about everything I could get my hands on. There were a lot of water vendors there from Italy as well as Italian sodas.

I was able to collect a nice new variety of samples upstairs and my bag quickly became heavy 2/3 of the way through upstairs. By now I had about a half hour left and I hadn’t even hit the River Pavillion yet. I began making me a sample plate of food to take to go since I would be driving home after leaving and wrapped that and put it in my bag. By now vendors were giving away sauces, pasta packs, milk, packaged food and more. I put the heavier items in my backpack and the lighter items in my Bonaire tote bag but the weight was beginning to really weigh me down (my poor back and shoulders were going to be screaming in a few).

Now I was moving slower because I was weighed down and my feet were hurting by now as well. I had been moving constantly since I had been there and was feeling the need to sit down but was also afraid to for fear that I wouldn’t want to get up. I didn’t get a chance to see the River Pavillion but by the time 3pm came I had to walk and take breaks because the bags were so heavy. By now I had 3 bags and upon exiting the floor was told the maximum was 2 bags and anything else had to be donated (there was a big donation box by the exit). I took my 3rd bag and poured it into my big Bonaire bag and that solved that problem leaving me with just 2 bags.

I found a corner near the entrance to finally sit and tried to think of how I would get this stuff to the SUV without a cart because it was too heavy. As I sat I noticed people left their things in place for quite some time and I only needed about 20 minutes so I left my stuff and went back to the SUV to get my cart. I returned back to find my things unmoved and placed both bags in my cart and rolled out. It was still challenging rolling the cart to the garage because I was so exhausted by now but I made it and unloaded everything.

I went to get my keys from valet and was informed because I came in after 9:30am (my reservation time) that I had to pay an additional $10 which I couldn’t undertand why no matter how they tried to explain it (apparently that was an early bird special). I called Spothero to complain and did inform them that I actually had to wait 40 minutes just to get in the garage because they were so backed up so they gave me a credit of $10 to my account). I got my keys, changed into some flip flops to let me feet breathe and was ready for the drive home.

Getting out of New York was easy even though it took me a roundabout way to avoid the tolls and I only ran into traffic in New Jersey. I stopped only one time to gas up and left New York a little after 4pm and made it home in Suitland, MD by 10:30pm. The drive home was smooth with a bit of rain at certain points but it was good to be back home. Now I had to unload the SUV so no one would break in it with everything inside and that took me about 40 minutes. Once I got in the house I showered and crashed and eventually woke up around 2:30am and ate something and took my medicine.

The next day Wednesday I made sure I was off and I rested most of the day. When I got up I sorted through all of the goodie bags aside from my own and began making goodie bags for friends that asked me to bring them some goods back. Aside from mine I ended up making a total of 7 goodie bags (including the one I gave my Airbnb host). Despite the pain I was in by the end of each day I really enjoyed attending the event and would like to make it a yearly thing. One thing I’d do differently next year is to just drive in each day and try to park in that same garage because the price was reasonable and the location was ideal to where I could go back and forth. I would still try to stay in New Jersey though and just drive in each day but earlier so that I’m there by the time they begin each day.

I hope everyone I gave a goodie bag to enjoys it as I enjoyed catering them to each person (especially to my one friend who wasn’t expecting one but alluded to wanting one). I sent a thank you follow-up email to Jenifer the woman who gave me the opportunity to attend and followed up with some vendors via email and social media. It was everything that I thought it’d be and reminds me a lot of Natural Products Expo East. I hope to get the opportunity to attend again next year and I will really be ready for everything then. Currently I’m enjoying my own goodie bag.