Rain, wind, and chilly temperatures didn’t stop foodies from coming out in force for the annual Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival. Held April 3-6 on an unusually cold spring weekend that saw highs only in the 40s and 50s, the four-day fete welcomed nearly 5,000 guests across four events – one less than usual thanks to a last-minute cancellation of Rise + Dine, the festival’s brunch-inspired event that was called off after heavy downpours Saturday morning.

Hungry ticketholders bundled up in boots, hats, and coats to embark on the Heart of the Ranch at Clearfork for the remaining four festival events, which touted tacos, tequila, burgers, beer, barbecue, and one-bite delights from dozens of Fort Worth’s most popular chefs. While the entire lineup of events typically sells out in advance, only Thursday night’s Tacos + Tequila and Friday night’s Main Event reached max capacity this year, likely due to the dismal weather forecast leading up to the festivities.

Produced by the Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation – the beneficiary of this year’s CultureMap Fort Worth Tastemaker Awards – the festival raises money for local grant programs and culinary scholarships and has awarded more than $325,000 to date.

Tacos + Tequila was the first event of the festivalPhoto by Cristina Tapia

Tacos + Tequila, held Thursday, April 3, kicked things off in festive fashion with a mariachi band upon arrival, tacos and tostadas of all kinds from 20 chefs, and more than a dozen tequila vendors. The event (which was $129 for early entry and $75 for general admission) provided a first glimpse of Dos Mares, the new coastal Mexican seafood concept coming soon from the folks at Don Artemio Mexican Heritage. Owner Adrian Burciaga and his team flew in a 100-pound bluefin tuna from Baja California, Mexico and chef Rodrigo Cardenas sliced the fish right on-site for the freshest of tuna tostadas. Word from festival organizers is that it was the most popular bite all weekend.

The team from Malai Kitchen serves patrons at The Main Event.Photo by Cristina Tapia

Friday Night’s Main Event served as the festival’s showcase soiree featuring two dozen powerhouse chefs who brought their A-game for patrons. The $145 ticket ($229 for early admission) granted access to cuisine from new participants like Bocca Osteria Romana and The Sicilian Butcher (both CultureMap Fort Worth Tastemaker Awards nominees), along with Fort Worth food and beverage heavyweights like Marcus Paslay of Clay Pigeon Food & Drink, Molly McCook of Ellerbe Fine Foods, and Preston Paine of Emilia’s and The Blue Room.

Rise + Dine was cancelled on Saturday morning about two hours before early entry was set to begin at 11 am due to heavily flooded festival grounds. (Those tickets were $99 and general admission was $65 for noon entry.) While ticket sales are non-refundable, as clearly stated upon purchase, festival organizers permitted Rise + Dine ticketholders to use their credits toward the festival’s remaining weekend events as well any Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation event through the 2027 season.

Burgers, Brews + Blues is always one of the most popular events of the festival.Photo by Cristina Tapia

Some of those ticketholders chose to attend Saturday evening’s Burgers, Brews + Blues. With tents and grills situated under string-lit trees circling around a main stage, the Saturday night party ($95 for general admission and $149 for VIP early entry) is the only event that involves a competition format. For the fourth year in a row, JD’s Hamburgers was crowned the fan favorite winner, this year for its “Buford T” slider as voted on by attendees. The mini burger was comprised of a Wagyu patty on a sweet sourdough bun topped with onion strings, bacon, cheddar cheese, and Dr. Pepper barbecue glaze. Of the 17 burger contenders, new participant NADC Burger won over the judges for best burger, and Plano-based Union Bear Brewing took the award for best brew.

New for the festival this year was a live music partnership with Visit Fort Worth. The city’s convention and visitor’s bureau sponsored big name bands for Burgers, Brews + Blues and Sunday afternoon’s Ring of Fire event. Michael Lee and the Wartime Limousine opened for headliner Danny Joseph on Saturday night, and on Sunday, Max Stalling opened for iconic Texas Country band The Great Divide.

The temps were cold, but the fire was hot at Ring of Fire barbecue event.Photo by Cristina Tapia

Sunday’s hot musical lineup and spicy fireside bites helped heat up Ring of Fire guests, who partook of barbecue and smoked cuisine in 40-degree weather conditions. The $95 general admission ticket ($149 for VIP early entry) allowed for all-you-can-eat hors d'oeuvres from 22 participants, including chargrilled oysters from Jon Bonnell who participated in all festival events. New invitees this year included the 78 year-old Cattlemen’s Steakhouse and the hot new Cajun destination Terrebone’s. Returning favorites included several nominees for the CultureMap Fort Worth Tastemaker Awards wildcard category of Best BBQ, such as Brix Barbecue, Dayne’s Craft Barbecue, Heim Barbecue, Panther City BBQ, and Smoke-A-Holics BBQ.