Before we hunker down for the holiday season, there are few massive food festivals that are sure to prepare you for the next two months of family feasts.
World Food Championships
Nov. 5–7, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. | Centennial Hall, Fair Park, 1001 Washington St.
Dubbed “The Olympics of Food,” the World Food Championships (WFC) is a multi-day cooking competition in which chefs participate in 10 categories: bacon, barbecue, dessert, sandwich, chef (I don’t think you’re eating chefs, but I haven’t been, so…), seafood, and many more. While this already seems like a lot, that is merely the tip of foodie iceberg. By the numbers: more than 1,500 top chefs and home cooks will battle it out for a cool $300,000 prize; 20-plus tasting experiences, an opportunity to play judge by eating some of the 8,000 competition dishes; an estimated 25,000 festival goers; roughly a kajillion calories. And as Ben Swanger noted recently, the WFC is poised to generate “$4 million in economic impact” from all the interest.
What else is going on? A whole-effing-lot. There’s BBQ Ranch, a block party barbecue bash where “pitmasters and and celebrity chefs will be firing up thousands of pounds of barbecue from the hottest grills and barbecue pits on the market,” per its website. If biscuits are your jam, head to the Biscuits & Jampionship event. How about an all-women pitmaster challenge? Then there is Granny Grilling, a live-action smackdown in which each “granny” cooks from a mystery box of ingredients, Chopped style. For an additional cost, you can sip on bourbon alongside barbecue (Bourb’N’Que, it’s called), or down mimosas at the weekend Brunch Bar.
Tickets are $45 for a three-day weekend pass or $20 for a day pass.
Chefs For Farmers
Nov. 4–7 | Various locations
Last year’s Chefs For Farmers went virtual, for obvious reasons, but it’s back to its in-real-life format. And the Dallas food and wine event is going big—huge, really—for its 10th anniversary. For those looking to explore North Texas’ bucolic scenery, check out The Farm Tour (Nov. 6, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Travel to three farms where drinks and food by incredible local chefs, such as Joel Orsini, Andrew Shackleford, and Erika Radtke.
New this year is DEVOUR Street Food Festival (Nov. 6, 3 to 6 p.m.), which will turn AT&T Discovery District’s Exchange Hall into a street food market of sorts with stalls hawking bites from more than 13 Dallas restaurants. Beverage stations will be parked throughout the food hall and downtown plaza.
You’ll recognize many of the big-name chefs participating in this year’s Main Event (The 10th Annual Chefs For Farmers, Nov. 7, 3 to 6 p.m., or 2 p.m. entry for VIPs). Dig into the best of the best—bites, breweries, wineries, distilleries, chefs, local farms—over at Dallas Heritage Village. Stroll through the park and make pitstops at the Rosé Garden, Tailgate Par-TAY, and the Go Texan Area.
Tickets range from $85 to $125 ($195 VIP) depending on event.
All You Can Eataly Grand Opening Party
Nov. 12 | Eataly Dallas, 8687 N. Central Expy
Nearly a year after its arrival, Eataly Dallas is throwing a big soiree. The market will close its usual operations at 3 p.m. and the whole place will be essentially transformed into a food festival with 30 tasting stations, wine samples, pasta (everywhere), and a whole parking lot of food. A huge grill will sling arrosticini (lamb skewers, a dish hailing from the Abruzzo region), porceddu (a whole-roasted pig Sardegna style), and other flame-licked eats. An Aperol Spritz bar will also be parked outside, alongside cooking demonstrations and live music.
Tickets are $99 for general admission (doors at 7 p.m.), $149 for VIP (early entry at 6 p.m.).
