Best Weekend Food Events: Game of Thrones, the Big Cheesy, and Beer Stein Hoisting

Bacon and Beer Classic
CitiField (123-01 Roosevelt Avenue, Queens)
Friday, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Fill up on endless bacon and beer at this tasting event, which grants ticket holders a unique view of the stadium. Over 50 varieties of bacon dishes — think bacon on a stick and bacon burgers — will be available, while craft breweries from across New York state (and beyond) fill up your cup. Restaurants offering an original bacon dish include Blue Smoke and BarBacon. Tickets start at $79 for general admission. Get yours here.

The Big Cheesy
(Openhouse Gallery, 168 Bowery)
Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Choose which grilled cheese takes home top prize at this all-you-can-eat competition, where guests can sample sandwiches from Artisanal, Campbell Cheese & Grocery, and Depanneur among others.  Tickets are $30 for one hour of tasting. Admission also includes two draft beers. Reserve your time slot here.

Beer Stein Hoisting Contest & 500th Anniversary of German Beer Purity Law
(Treadwell Park, 1125 First Avenue)
Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Celebrate the creation of good German beer by facing off against a German brewmaster in a stein hoisting competition. The winner will be tasked with tapping the ceremonial keg and will receive a one-liter Radeberger mug signed by the brewmaster himself. Guests can also sample a range of Radeberger brews like Zwickel, Kolsch, and Hefeweizen. Can’t handle a stein? The event will also include traditional polka music, a trivia contest, and the beer hall’s usual line up of games including ping pong.

Chicken and Waffles Day Party
(Rockaway Brewing Co., 46-01 5th Street, Queens)
Saturday, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Rockaway Brewing Co. will host a party with chicken, waffles, and other Southern-style food. A selection of the brewery’s latest beers will also be available, and a DJ will be spinning tunes throughout the night. Admission is $11.54 and does not include food and beverage. Reserve your ticket here.

EscapeMaker Pop-Up Shop and Free Tastings
(Fulton Stall Market, 207A Front Street)
Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Head to the South Street Seaport for EscapeMaker.com’s final food-focused pop-up shop, which will offer guests complimentary tastings from local farms. Guests can also learn more about local culinary tourism for the upcoming spring and summer seasons.

Game of Thrones Party
(Professor Thom’s, 219 Second Avenue)
5 p.m. until 2 p.m.

Catch the season debut of Game of Thrones and lament the death — or rebirth? — of Jon Snow over drink specials. From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., guests can enjoy an open bar filled with themed drinks before taking part in a costume contest. You don’t have to buy admission to get into the viewing; however, a ticket ($45) will get you into the open bar and several raffles throughout the night where you’ll have a chance to win Game of Thrones-themed prizes.