Aruba’s Autentico Festival Is Returning This October With Local Flavor and Global Talent
This fall, Aruba will once again become the Caribbean’s stage for culinary creativity. The Aruba Tourism Authority has announced the return of Autentico, the island’s signature food festival, set for Oct. 11–19. The weeklong celebration will spotlight the island’s more than 100 nationalities, blending community spirit with international star power.
From neighborhood restaurants to global names, the program is designed to tell Aruba’s story through flavor. Local chefs will collaborate with international guest talent, including U.S. celebrity chef Christian Petroni, Peruvian Top 50 chef Jaime Pesaque, and Dutch Michelin-starred chef Tim Golsteijn. Together, they will present immersive dining experiences, cultural mashups, and bold interpretations of Aruban classics.
A Week of Experiences
The festival begins with Restaurant Week, when top restaurants across the island serve exclusive Autentico menus. For seven days, visitors and locals alike can sample prix-fixe dishes that range from traditional Aruban comfort food to contemporary reimaginings.
Running alongside is a series of bucket-list experiences, curated intimate dinners and collaborations hosted at select venues. These one-off events bring together local chefs and international guests in settings that capture the island’s energy and its cross-cultural influences.
The celebration culminates with The Pavilion on Oct. 18 and 19. Downtown Oranjestad will transform into an open-air food hub, with more than 40 local restaurants, beverage partners, and community vendors serving bold bites, sweet treats, and signature cocktails. Street music and cooking demos will add to the atmosphere, including hands-on sessions with Christian Petroni and other guest chefs.
Honoring Aruba’s Culinary Heritage
For Aruba, Autentico is more than a festival. “Autentico is an annual celebration of Aruba’s past, present and future through food,” said Ronella Croes, CEO of the Aruba Tourism Authority. “It’s a moment for us to honor the incredible diversity that shapes our island—more than 100 nationalities living, cooking and creating together—and to showcase the flavors, stories and traditions that make Aruba so unique.”
That diversity has long defined Aruba’s food culture. Chinese, Dutch, Venezuelan, Indonesian, and African influences are layered into local favorites like pan bati, keshi yena, and pastechi. At Autentico, those flavors sit alongside inventive plates from visiting chefs, creating a dialogue between tradition and innovation.
International Spotlight
The global guest lineup is meant to elevate Autentico’s reach while staying rooted in the island’s story. Christian Petroni, known from Food Network, spoke of the festival’s personal meaning: “For me, food is family. It’s how we share who we are, where we come from, and the people we love. I’m so excited to cook alongside Aruba’s amazing chefs, to learn their techniques and traditions, and to bring some of my own to the table. What we’ll create together at Autentico is soulful, delicious — and straight from the heart.”
With its mix of street celebrations, intimate dinners, and international collaborations, Autentico 2025 is shaping up as both a showcase and a community gathering. For visitors, it’s a chance to experience Aruba through the flavors that define its identity. For locals, it’s an affirmation of the island’s place as a cultural and culinary crossroads in the Caribbean.
Karen Udler is the Deputy Travel Editor of Caribbean Journal. A graduate of Duke University, has been traveling across the Americas for three decades. First an expert on Latin American travel, Karen has been traveling with CJ for more than a decade. She likes to focus on wellness, luxury travel and food.
