It's no secret: Virginia is for food lovers. Can you blame us? We've got some of the freshest produce, finest seafood, and delicious down-home cooking around. One of the best ways to pay homage to our delectable food is through festivals. These festivals celebrate more than Virginia food, too. Another case in point of how you don't have to travel far to get the world's finest cuisine. Here are the upcoming food festivals taking place this spring, summer (and early fall - we can't help but get ahead of ourselves when it comes to food festivals!).

1. Taste of Spring: Brews, Buds, and Bites (Irvington)

Friday, April 15th kicks off the Taste of Spring Festival from the Tides Inn in Irvington. This delicious festival pairs catches from the Chesapeake Bay with craft beer for a mouth-watering experience. Gourmet s'more with a Devil's Backbone stout sounds pretty incredible, doesn't it?

2. Richmond Greek Festival

The Greek Festival is quite a tradition in Richmond. In addition to the unbeatable food, there is an "agora" or marketplace set up to display jewelry, books, and folk art. Authentic Greek music and entertainment are also at the heart of this celebration. The 41st annual Greek Festival will take place from June 2nd - June 5th at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral.

And there's a drive-thru! This Greek food is so delicious that even those pressed for time will make sure they don't miss out.

3. Urbanna Oyster Festival

With over 50 vendors that provide for the Urbanna Oyster Festival, there will be more than plenty to choose from. And it's more than oysters too; there will be hotdogs, roast beef, steak, and crabs. Arts and crafts will also be available in the festival village. The entertainment will include the Oyster parade, a fireman's parade, and a marine science legacy program. This year's oyster festival will take place November 4th-5th (if you check their website, there's an official countdown -- so you know it's serious business).

4. Virginia Cheese Festival (Blacksburg)

The Hilton Inn will be hosting the second annual Virginia Cheese Festival. True cheese fans wouldn't dare miss this festival that celebrates and offers samplings of a multitude of artisan cheeses. One of the coolest aspects of this festival is the chance to meet the farmers and discuss the process of how they make the cheese from cows, goats, and sheep. There are scheduled

"cheese chats" to further discuss this fine art of cheese making. And there's plenty of snacking, too. Mark your calendar for June 11th.

5. Pork, Peanut & Pine Festival (Surry)

This festival sums up the three products that this part of Virginia is known for. The two-day festival at Chippokes Plantation State Park honors artisans and farmers alike. Food vendors offer tasty treats such as ham biscuits, pork rinds, and peanut brittle. This festival will take place July 16th-17th.

6. Shrimp & Wine Fest (Brookneal)

On the lovely grounds of Sans Soucy Vineyards, you'll be able to sample Coconut Shrimp, Shrimp Bisque, Shrimp Skewers and pair them all with delicious wine. There's even a Famous BlackBerry Ginger Sangria you won't want to miss. Dessert and BBQ vendors will also be present for those who want to sample some things other than shrimp. The event will take place on September 10th.

7. Strawberry Festival (Roanoke)

It'd be difficult to find a sweeter food festival in the state. The Strawberry festival has just about every strawberry treat you could dream of. It's a family-friendly gathering and draws nearly 30,000 people to Roanoke each year. There will be plenty of children's activities and live entertainment, too. The festival will take place May 6th-7th this year.

8. Broad Appetit (Richmond)

50 of Richmond's finest restaurants gather together to offer samples of their fine cuisine (including dessert) for only $5 a piece. On June 5th, West Broad Street will be sizzling with some of the finest local produce, meats, cheeses, artisan creations and flavors in the whole city. Attending the event helps support Meals on Wheels and the Central Virginia Food Bank.

9. Cajun Festival & Crawfish Boil (Purcelleville)

If you've been wanting a fix of New Orleans, look no further than the Cajun Festival & Crawfish boil. Come prepared to enjoy cajun cooking, craft vendors, dancing, and more. The Voodoo Blues Band will set the mood for this Cajun affair. The festival will take place on June 11th.

10. Virginia Beach Chocolate Festival

On November 14th-15th at the Virginia Beach Convention Center, chocolate lovers can gather for their shared interest. Chocolate samplings, cupcake vendors, and even chocolate beverages...It all sounds too good to be true, but it isn't. There's a recipe swap table where you can trade your favorite chocolate recipes for someone else's to try. There's also something new this year called "chocolate roulette," which you may just have to investigate for yourself.

Are any of your favorite food festivals missing from the list? Be sure to share them with us!