Food Fest Fun

The 8 fall food fests no respectable Dallas gourmand would miss

It’s all feast and no famine for Dallas foodies this fall. From Texas’ biggest veggie festival to the ultimate meat battle to one very secretive white dinner party, it’s all here for the taking.

Now pencil in these dates for the best food-filled celebrations of the season, listed in order of occurrence:

Harvest, September 15
Event chairs John and Mary Martha Pickens, with honorary chairs Michal and Loyd Powell, host this event at The Shed at the Dallas Farmers Market, now in its third year. Chef chair Sharon Hage recruits some of the best local chefs, resulting in delicious food along with specialty cocktails, entertainment by Aaron Einhouse Music, and silent and live auctions. All proceeds benefit the senior and child programs of the North Texas Food Bank. Tickets are $200, and the event starts at 7 pm.

Smoked Dallas, September 24
Pitmasters from all over the state — including Fort Worth’s Heim Barbecue and Dallas’ Slow Bone — descend on Main Street Garden Park downtown to show off their barbecue skills. There is also a stellar lineup of live music, with performances by the Toadies, Shinyribs, Dirty River Boys, the Roomsounds, and Dean Fearing’s Lost Coyote Band. Tickets start at $28, and general admission starts at 2:30 pm.

Chefs for Farmers, September 25
This event is all about chefs and farmers coming together to provide good food to passionate attendees. More than 120 food vendors from all over the country set up shop alongside DJs and other live entertainment at Gilley’s Dallas. Tickets are $100, and the event starts at 2 pm. Also new noteworthy: the Chefs for Farmers Street Food Night Market the night before, September 24, in the Dallas Design District, sponsored by CultureMap.

Dîner en Blanc, September 30
The picnic-style Parisian dinner party is popping up again, with plans to wine and dine more than 2,200 attendees in an undisclosed location. Expect dinner from Food Glorious Food, entertainment by Bravo, dancing, and a Pyrotex fireworks show. Participants of this mysterious dinner are in charge of setting up and taking down the entire operation, leaving no sign of their experience when it is all over. Tickets are $37, and more information will be emailed before the night of the event — if you make it off the wait list.

DIFFA Burgers & Burgundy, October 7
Chef John Tesar is rounding up celebrity chefs for an epic upscale cookout themed DIFFAcella on the Ron Kirk Pedestrian Bridge. This a definite change in scenery, as it has formerly been held in Karen and Bill Seanor’s backyard. Guests can expect bunned bites; cocktails; entertainment by Repel the Robot and the Please, Please Me; live art installations; three caricature artists; and a henna artist. Oh, and lots of support for DIFFA Dallas via the "Pawkitecture" auction. Tickets are $150, and the event starts at 6:30 pm.

Park & Palate, October 22
In its second year, this two-day shindig at Klyde Warren Park starts with the already-sold-out Down to the Roots event, where 12 chefs create comfort food with a modern twist. But the main attraction is the grand tasting on Saturday, with 30 chefs and 30 wineries offering tastings, cooking demos, and book signings. All proceeds go directly back to Klyde Warren Park. Tickets start at $75 for the grand tasting, which lasts from 2-6 pm.

Texas Veggie Fair, October 22
This free, dog-friendly event is wildly popular in Dallas, and you should expect a packed park full of veggie-enthusiasts. Taking place at Reverchon Park, it’s the largest veggie festival in Texas and features speakers, chef demos, live music, and vendors galore. (Official lineup announcement coming soon.) The festival lasts from 11 am to 6 pm.

Meat Fight, November 13
Tickets for this annual barbecue competition benefiting the National MS Society typically sell out fast, so set your alarm for October 4, 10 am, when they officially go on sale via Meatfight.com. This year the event returns to Four Corners Brewery, where teams of Dallas’ top chefs compete for bragging rights to the best smoked meats, as determined by BBQ authorities like Texas Monthly’s Daniel Vaughn. You must go hungry, because you will want to eat all of the things. Also bring your wallet, to bid in the live auction that in the past has included items like a smoker built by famed pitmaster Aaron Franklin. Last year it raised $150,000.

Ellerbe Fine Foods is just one of the vendors at Park & Palate, October 21-22.

Photo courtesy of Ellerbe Fine Foods

Ellerbe Fine Foods is just one of the vendors at Park & Palate, October 21-22.

where-to-eat

Charitable Event

Volunteers wanted for H-E-B's free holiday feast at Fair Park Dallas

Photo courtesy of H-E-B

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H-E-B and its family of brands, including Central Market, Joe V’s Smart Shop, and Favor, will bring back the annual Feast of Sharing dinner this holiday season to both Dallas and Fort Worth.

The two events are as follows:

Dallas Feast of Sharing is on Thursday, November 20 from 3-7 pm at Centennial Hall in Fair Park
Fort Worth Feast of Sharing is on Wednesday, November 12 from 3-7 pm at Dickies Arena

Both events will feature a Texas-style holiday meal alongside a festive celebration complete with a kid’s zone, live entertainment, health and family services, Santa greetings, and more. Meals are FREE and open to the public (first come first serve).

Anticipate preparations to serve meals to 10,000+ people, music, family activities, wellness screenings, and visits from Santa.

Volunteers
The organizers are seeking 1,000 volunteers in each city to assist with serving meals, clearing tables, hosting, and supporting the kid’s zone area during the four-hour events. All businesses, civic organizations, churches and schools are encouraged to sign up at www.centralmarket.com/community.

“We couldn’t bring this event to life without the dedication of our volunteers,” said Mabrie Jackson, managing director of public affairs, H-E-B/Central Market. “The holidays are about giving and community, and this year we’re proud to make a meaningful difference by sharing a delicious holiday meal with more families.”

The event, which has been held in Dallas since 2006 and Fort Worth since 2011, typically serves 10,000-15,000 residents in each city. In addition, more than 40 social service agencies are on hand with representatives to provide information and resources.

Since 1989, Central Market’s parent company, H-E-B, has invited people to celebrate the holidays with food, music, and good cheer at its Feast of Sharing events. The free holiday feasts, which are held in more than 34 cities in Texas and Mexico, bring together family, friends, and neighbors, and provides H-E-B an opportunity to give thanks to its loyal customers, regularly serving more than 340,000 meals.

In the more than three decades H-E-B has held these celebrations, more than 375,000 volunteers have helped serve nearly four million meals. This initiative is a part of H-E-B’s Hunger Relief Program, which works year-round to prevent hunger in the more than 300 communities H-E-B serves. Last year, H-E-B’s Hunger Relief Program donated 33 million pounds of food to families in need. Since 1982, the year the program was founded, H-E-B has donated more than one billion pounds of food to 5,500 non-profit organizations in Texas and Mexico.

Dallas Feast of Sharing – 19th Annual Holiday Dinner. Thursday, November 20, 2025, 3-7 pm, Fair Park – Centennial Hall, 1001 Washington St.
Fort Worth Feast of Sharing – 13th Annual Holiday Dinner. Wednesday, November 12, 2025, 3-7 pm, Dickies Arena (Lower level – southeast side of arena)1911 Montgomery St.

charity h-e-b holidays