Chefs For Farmers, the premier food and wine festival of Dallas, will return November 2-4, 2018, for its sixth year of bringing together chefs, artisans, culinary influencers, and people who love great food and drink to support local and regional farmers. Discounted, “early bird” tickets including $15 off Street Food Night Market and The Main Event are on sale now. This year, Chefs For Farmers will bring together more than 80 locally and nationally acclaimed chefs, 20 farmers/artisans and 50 wineries, breweries and distilleries for a three-day culinary blowout.
Created in 2010 by Dallas restaurateurs Iris Midler and Matt McCallister, Chefs For Farmers began as a long table dinner for 125 people at Eden’s Organic Farm in Balch Springs, Texas. The goal of the evening was to bring farmers and local chefs together to promote the benefits of working closely with their local/regional farmers. Over the years, Chefs For Farmers has evolved into a nationally recognized, multi-day festival with thousands in attendance. As part of its commitment to encouraging sustainable relationships between chefs and the farming community, Chefs For Farmers provides stipends to participating chefs and farms to create locally sourced dishes for the festival.
“It’s so rewarding to see our event that began as an intimate dinner on a farm transform into one of the leading culinary events in the nation,” said Iris Midler, co-founder of Chefs For Farmers. “We love seeing attendees faces light up as they make the connection between the amazing food they are eating, the chefs who created it and the farmers who made it possible.”
This year’s schedule of activities include:
Saturday, November 3: Street Food Night Market presented by Audi
Dallas is going global during this evening of all-star chefs, craft beers, top-shelf spirits, and more.
Victory Park will be transformed into an international food hall where guests can sample flavor influences from around the world. Select participating Street Food Night Market chefs include: Angela Hernandez (Fine China), Jesus Carmona (Tacos Mariachi), Kent Rathbun (Shinsei & Imoto), Luis Olvera (Trompo), Matthew Ford (Billy Can Can), Nikky Phinyawatana (Asian Mint), Ryan Olmos (CiboDivino), and others. Location: Victory Park.
7-10 p.m. Tickets are $75 per person for general admission and $95 per person for VIP (includes 30-minute early entrance with specialty food and drinks) and can be purchased online. This event is 21+ only. GA per peVIP $95 per person21+ only
Sunday, November 4: The Main Event
Back for its biggest year yet, The Main Event will take over Dallas’ first-ever park, Dallas Heritage Village, to create the dining experience of the season in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere under the sunny autumn skies. Attendees can sample bites created by more than 50 hard-working farmers and talented chefs focused on creating a locally sourced menu. New this year, Chef John Tesar (Knife) has invited some of the top pitmasters in the nation to add their BBQ best to the event. Award-winning chefs in attendance at The Main Event include
Billy Durney (Hometown Bar-B-Que), Sam Jones (Sam Jones BBQ), Stephen McHugh (Cured), Alex Seidell (Mercantile), Tyson Cole(Uchi) and many others. There will also be wine, beer and spirits, as well as DJs and live music. Location: Dallas Heritage Village 1515 S. Harwood Street in Dallas. 2-6 p.m. Tickets are $99 per person for general admission and $150 per person for VIP (includes 30-minute early entrance with specialty food and drinks) and can be purchased online. This event is 21+ only.
Friends of the Festival, Charitable Partners & Honorees
Those interested in supporting Chefs For Farmers all year long and in a bigger way can join Friends of the Festival presented by Celebrity Cruises for $500 per person. Benefits include an exclusive Friends of the Festival Dinner, VIP entrance to Street Food Night Market and The Main Event, name recognition in the program and a VIP gift bag. The exclusive Friends of the Festival Dinner will take place Sunday, October 7 from 6-9 p.m. at 4425 Arcady Ave. in Dallas. Proceeds from the Friends program benefit Chefs For Farmers 2018 charitable partner, Youth With Faces, a 501(c)(3) organization that gives youth in the juvenile justice system the skills needed to break the cycle of incarceration and create positive futures by providing experiences that allow them to practice critical social, job and life skills.