Chefs for Farmers Food & Wine Festival Returns to Houston. Here’s What to Expect.
Image: Courtesy of Brian Kennedy
Houston food lovers, gear up for the return of Chefs for Farmers Food & Wine Festival on September 27 and 28 at Autry Park.
The 21-and-up festival aims to celebrate Texas flavors and communities through food and wine. This year, it’s bringing together more than 60 chefs from local restaurants, as well as regional farms, ranches, and beverage partners. Some of the featured chefs include Patti Delgado from the Original Ninfa’s; Bryan Caswell of Latuli; Aaron Bludorn of Bludorn; Victoria Elizondo of Cochinita & Co.; David Skinner from Ishtia; and Luis Robledo Richards from Mayahuel.
Beyond hopping around from chef to chef, the festival has a slate of experiences and entertainment. Stroll into the Rosé Ranch and wander a garden-inspired area with curated pours, as well as photo opportunities from brands Grey Goose, Houston’s own Sonoma Wine Bar, and Patrón.
To show our Lone Star State some love, literally, visit Texas Love. The space will boast drinks from Santa Fe Spirits, Karbach Brewing Co., William Chris Vineyards, and Garrison Brothers Distillery. Expect BBQ traditions and tons of regional flavors.
Lovers of the arts, or really anyone wanting to support a local maker, will want to stop by Artisan Alley to peruse Houston-based brands like hat designer Monarca Hat Bar, floral and balloon installation company Topped Off Co., and urban farm Zero-Point Organics.
With football season in full swing, there might be a game that festivalgoers won’t want to miss—thankfully, Chefs for Farmers has sports enthusiasts covered with its Tailgate Experience, which promises beer pairings, lawn games, and football on the big screen. Let’s just hope the Texans make Houston proud with their game against the Titans on Sunday.
While Houstonia doesn’t want to give everything away, here’s a tease of what to expect from three of the featured chefs:
Ponzu Short Rib Scallion Pancake
This dish from chef Adolfo Monjaras of Frankie B. Mandola’s Catering gives festivalgoers a crispy bite of a scallion pancake layered with ponzu-braised beef short rib. For added flavor, Monjaras tops the bite with a shishito pepper lemon parmesan gastrique from Blackwood Educational Land Institute.
Masu Tom Kha
Chef Marco Juarez from Hidden Omakase will be making a masu tom kha. The dish boasts ocean trout, maitake mushrooms, cherry tomato, and a tom kha purée. Staying true to the festival and its beneficiaries, Juarez will use herbs from Zero-Point Organics in Hempstead.
Crunchy Tuna Hand Roll
Like Juarez, Azumi’s chef Gabriel Guzman will incorporate herbs from Zero-Point Organics to round out his crunchy tuna hand roll. Diners can expect a refreshing bite filled with rice puffs, cucumber and yuzu kosho vinaigrette.
General admission tickets, which allow access from 2–5pm are $145 for a day pass and $249 for the full weekend. Meanwhile, VIP tickets, which allow access from 1–5pm, are priced at $195 for a day and $349 for the weekend. A portion of all proceeds this year will go to the festival’s 2025 charity partners, including the Houston Food Bank, Urban Harvest, the Seed Project Foundation, and New Friends New Life.
More information, tickets, and a full list of chefs can be found here.
