The weather outside is certainly frightful, but in a scorching way. That’s not stopping one local ice cream shop from celebrating Christmas six months early, with holiday flavors being scooped this weekend. There are also wine dinners for every palate, from Champagne lovers to Cabernet fiends. And for those with hefty appetites, a rib-eating contest should satiate your hunger. But first, start the week with a toast to National Tequila Day.

Tuesday, July 24

Infused Tequila Tasting at Taco Diner Waterside
Celebrate National Tequila Day and Taco Tuesday in proper fashion with a tequila tasting at a taco shop. The folks from Dulce Vida will be on site to share details about their organic, blue agave tequilas. Taste three and enjoy Taco Diner’s new frozen Paloma made with grapefruit-infused tequila. The $29.95 ticket includes all drinks and small bites. The event will run from 6-7:30 pm.

The Art of War at Cannon Chinese Kitchen
There are just a handful of seats left for this creatively paired wine dinner, which will theme its courses around favorite chapters from Sun Tzu’s book, Art of War. Expect bone broth soup with foie and sweetbread dumplings, whole fried snapper with bone chips, osso buco with braised veal, and sticky rice Alaskan with blood orange ice cream by Melt. The six-course event (which will close down the entire restaurant) is $75 per person and begins at 7 pm.

Wednesday, July 25

Pop-Up Wine Dinner at Sloan & Williams Winery
Chef Nathan Tate will take a night off from his Dallas restaurants, Boulevardier and Rapscallion, to visit historic downtown Grapevine. He’ll prepare a four-course meal influenced by his farming roots to be paired with Sloan & Williams’ wines. The event is $75 per person and begins at 7 pm.

Thursday, July 26

7-Course Collective Brewing Project Beer Dinner at Café Modern
The Modern Art Museum's café will come alive with DJ tunes and beer talk by guest speaker Ryan Deyo, cofounder and head brewer of The Collective Brewing Project, all while Kevin Martinez of Tokyo Café dishes out a seven-course meal. Menu highlights include fish and chips, Hamachi crudo, roasted pig glazed with Japanese black sugar, and miso cake with guava ice cream and pickled grapefruit. All courses will be paired with Collective beers. Dinner is $79 for museum members ($89 for non-members), plus tax and gratuity, and the event begins at 6:30 pm.

Friday, July 27

Christmas in July at Melt
The weather is anything but a winter wonderland, but that’s not stopping the West Magnolia Avenue ice cream shop (which just announced plans for a second location in the Bishop Arts District) from spreading a little Christmas cheer. On Friday and Saturday, patrons can partake in Melt holiday favorites like Snowflake, white chocolate ice cream blended with house-made peppermint candy; Santa’s Little Helper, made with Avoca espresso, vodka, and vanilla ice cream; and the vegan Rudolph’s Dreams, made with dark chocolate coconut milk and house-made cranberry jam. Even more, Melt’s Christmas sundae lets customers choose three scoops topped with whipped cream, Mexican hot chocolate sauce, salted caramel sauce, and Christmas sprinkles. The store is open 12 pm-11 pm Friday and Saturday.

Fixe Fort Worth Burgess Wine Dinner
President and vintner Steven Burgess of Burgess Cellars in Napa Valley will be in attendance to talk Cabernet Sauvignon and more during this five-course dinner. Menu highlights include honey-cured sea scallops, grilled Texas quail, Wagyu hanger steak, and vanilla bean panna cotta. Reservations are $95 per person, plus tax and gratuity, and dinner starts at 6 pm.

Champagne Dinner at Truluck’s
Toast to the weekend at the Southlake seafood destination with a four-course dinner paired with G.H. Mumm champagnes. The menu includes oysters paired with brut rosé, New England clam chowder paired with brut, sea scallops Oscar paired with blanc de blancs, and New York-style cheesecake paired with rosé. Seats are $150 per person (including tax and gratuity) and dinner begins at 7 pm.

Saturday, July 28

Riscky’s Rib-Eating Contest
Do you have what it takes to become the barbecue beef rib-eating champ of Fort Worth? Thirty barbecue lovers will go head-to-head to find out. There’s still room to compete, and the entry fee is only $5 in advance and $10 the day of the event. Participants will have 60 seconds to eat as many ribs as possible, and the winner will take home $500. (There are cash prizes for second and third place, too.) The event will take place at Riscky’s Stockyards location on East Exchange Avenue. The carnivorous festivities begin at 11 am.

Sunday, July 29

J Vineyards & Winery Wine Dinner at Cat City Grill
There’ll be five courses at this Sunday evening soiree, which will feature wines from Russian River Valley favorite J Vineyards — known for making some yummy bubbly. The menu is still in the works, but expect local meats from 44 Farms to be featured. Seats are $85 per person plus tax and gratuity, and dinner begins at 6 pm.