Foodies, start your engines: the Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival officially revs up this week.
The four-day feast, which debuted in 2014, has established itself as the city’s premiere multi-day culinary extravaganza. Encompassing five ticketed events over four days and nights, the feeding frenzy features Fort Worth’s top chefs, pitmasters, bakers, bartenders, and food artisans in a tree-covered, riverside outdoor setting. In addition to highly decked out food and beverage booths with bites and sips to share, the festival features interactive stations, countless lounge areas and photo ops, and this year, a new live music partnership with Visit Fort Worth. (Read on for highlighted musical acts.)
It will all take place Thursday through Sunday at the Heart of the Ranch at Clearfork. While two of the five events have already sold out, there’s still time to snag tickets for the remaining three. All promise for a spectacular presentation of Cowtown’s culinary scene. Get your stretchy pants ready and dive into all the tasty details here.
Thursday, April 3
Tacos + Tequila (Sold Out)
Kicking off the festival is Tacos + Tequila, a widely popular event that debuted in 2018 and sells out every year well in advance. (Make a note for next year.) For the lucky 1,000 who snatched up tickets early, bites from new participants include the recently opened La Cabrona Cocina Mexicana, Shogun Taqueria, a new concept coming soon from “Paco” Islas of Paco’s Mexican Cuisine, Tres Amigos Tacos and Tequila on W. Magnolia Ave., and Dos Mares, the seafood concept opening soon from the folks behind Don Artemio Mexican Heritage. See the list of restaurants and chefs here along with the full lineup of tequilas, spirits, wine, and local brews. Early entry begins at 5:30 pm, general admission at 6:30 pm, and the event will run until 9 pm.
Friday, April 4
The Main Event (Sold Out)
The Main Event serves as the showcase event highlighting the best of Fort Worth’s food scene and restaurants bring their A-game for this premiere tasting extravaganza. New participants, including Bocca Osteria Romana, F1 Smokehouse, and The Sicilian Butcher, will join Fort Worth food and beverage heavyweights including Marcus Paslay of Clay Pigeon Food & Drink, Molly McCook of Ellerbe Fine Foods, and Juan Rodriguez of Magdalena’s. See the roster here. Early entry begins at 5:30 pm, general admission at 6:30 pm, and the event will run until 9 pm.
Saturday, April 5
Rise + Dine
There are still general admission tickets available ($65) for this brunch-themed event that will feature brunch-inspired bites from nearly two dozen talented chefs paired with bubbly, brunch cocktails, spirits, beer, and wine. New participants like Flying Carpet Turkish Café, Fort Redemption, and James Provisions will join returning favorites such as Brewed, Dusty Biscuit Beignets, and Local Foods Kitchen. General admission entry is at 12 pm (11 am for the sold-out early entry), and the event will run until 2:30 pm.
Burgers, Brews + Blues
Breweries and burger titans will come together for this evening under the stars to showcase their best sliders and beers. Celebrity judges will choose one “best burger” winner, and guests will vote for their “fan favorite” for both burgers and brews. Of the 17 burger contenders, new participants include NADC Burger, Walloon’s, Rogers Roundhouse, and The Hamburger Man. They’ll match up against previous winners like JD’s Hamburgers, Kincaid’s, and Tommy’s Hamburgers. Live music provided by Visit Fort Worth will include opener Michael Lee and the Wartime Limousine and headliner Danny Joseph. General admission tickets are $95 with entry at 6:30 pm (5:30 pm for the sold-out early entry), and the event will run until 9 pm.
Sunday, April 6
Ring of Fire
The musical lineup is just as hot at the fireside bites to be served at this festival finale event. The Great Divide will headline after opener Max Stalling, both respected Texas country acts. As for the food, Ring of Fire participants are tasked to get creative with smoke, meaning barbecue pitmasters will show their skills alongside seasoned chefs. Of the 22 food participants, new invitees include the 78 year-old Cattlemen’s Steakhouse, the hot new Cajun destination Terrebone’s, The Original Roy Hutchins Barbeque, and The Tradition Clearfork. Returning favorites include 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. General admission tickets are $95 with entry at 2 pm (1 pm for the sold-out early entry), and the event will run until 5 pm.
Produced by the Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation, the festival raises money for local grant programs and culinary scholarships. The foundation has awarded more than $325,000 to date. Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation is also the beneficiary of the 2025 CultureMap Fort Worth Tastemaker Awards.
