One of the biggest festivals in the world celebrating the cuisine of Nepal is coming to Dallas-Fort Worth: It's the MoMo Festival, a one-day event with food and music, taking place November 2 in Arlington at the Levitt Pavilion.

The festival is named for the momo, a steamed dumpling from the Himalayas, a mountain range in Nepal. But it also features live music with renowned performers such as Pramod Kharel, singer and judge from The Voice Nepal.

The festival was founded in 2022 by Pradip Giri, who previously owned a gas station restaurant called MoMo To Go, now closed. In 2023, the event drew a jaw-dropping attendance of 15,000 people, and Giri anticipates more in 2024.

"Texas has one of the largest Nepali populations in the U.S, competing with Newark, New Jersey — we may even be the top by now," Giri says. "Especially in Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth. We get a lot of people who come up from Houston, but also from Austin, Arkansas, Lousiana. This year, I've even heard from some folks who are flying in from Washington state. Between the food and the music and the entertainment, it's just a wonderful, fun gathering."

There will be 50 vendors featured serving food, alcohol, alcohol-free drinks, and merchandise. Some of the featured vendors this year include Bankhead Brewpub, Namaste Grill and Bar, Nanglo, and Everything Halal. Many will offer their own takes on momo, from chicken kothe to veg chili momos and other cultural dishes.

There will also be vegetarian and Halal options. To level up the festivities, there will be a VIP lounge and bar as well as live eating competitions. Plus, this year’s festival will feature a guest appearance from BBC Master Chef finalist and Nepalese chef Santosh Shah with a booth sharing his culinary skills.

Live performances include music from local bands and international artists.

The festival schedule will go as follows:

• 2-9 pm: Food and non-food vendors
• 2-7 pm: Movie characters for kids to interact with, including Hulk and Iron Man
• 2-5 pm: Local band, singers, dancers, stilt walkers
• 3-5 pm: Dinosaurs and a petting zoo
• 5 pm: Momo eating competition in two rounds with 20 participants in each round
• 5:30-9 pm: Performances from three international artists and band, including Anju Panta, Pramod Kharel, and Phiroj Shyangden & TheBeats Band

The 2024 sponsors helping to make the event happen, alongside Momo To Go, include Nepalese Society of Texas, Walk for Nepal - Dallas, and other Nepalese community members, and Trifecta Management Company will help with event management.

“Our goal is to introduce Nepalese/Himalayan food including the famous back home, the momo to Non-Nepalese audiences,” Giri says. “We want to reach out to more and more of non-Nepali crowds to enjoy the food, and enjoy the Himalayan music.”