If you’ve been planning to buy Chefs For Farmers tickets, do it this week. Early bird pricing for the Dallas festival ends Friday, Oct. 16, and some of the VIP options have already sold out.
This is the 16th year for the festival. Iris Midler started it in 2010 as a single farm dinner, and it now runs for five days in early November, Wednesday, Nov. 4 through Sunday, Nov. 8. It ends with the Main Event at Old City Park. The idea hasn’t changed in all that time. Chefs cook with ingredients from farms they buy from directly, and guests taste the results.
The Main Event is spread over two afternoons, Saturday, Nov. 7 and Sunday, Nov. 8. VIP guests get in at 2 p.m. and general admission opens at 3 p.m., and both close at 6 p.m. Every ticket covers unlimited food and drink from more than 80 chefs and farms, plus winemakers, distillers and live music. Attendees will also vote on the Best Bite of the weekend.
Here’s what early bird pricing looks like right now. General admission is $145 for either day, or $249 for a weekend pass covering both. VIP is $195 for Sunday only, since Saturday VIP and the VIP weekend pass are both sold out. From each general admission ticket, $10 goes to the Seed Project Foundation, the festival’s Dallas charity, which supports agricultural education and locally grown food.
The grounds have some new additions this year. Barbecue fans will want to find the Texas Smoke Show, where Tim and Trey Hutchins of Hutchins BBQ cook alongside Justin Fourton of Pecan Lodge, and the festival says more pitmasters will be announced. The Palm Beaches Garden brings chef-driven bites, wine, cocktails and live music, and Boots, Barrels and BMW is a Texas-themed area with food, drinks and interactive programming from the carmaker.
BMW is also running a contest. Dallas-area BMW centers are giving away what they call the Ultimate Weekend Experience at Chefs For Farmers, and entry is free. Enter on the BMW event page. If you’re hoping to win your way in, enter now and still keep an eye on the early bird deadline. Waiting on the contest could mean losing the lower price.
The days before the Main Event are just as good. For the first time, Chefs For Farmers has partnered with the James Beard Foundation for a Friends of James Beard Benefit Dinner, presented by BMW, on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at Meridian in The Village. Eduardo Osorio hosts. He’s joined by Misti Norris of Far Out, Jennie Kelley and Brandon Moore of Fond, Reilly Brown of Frenchie and RJ Yoakum of Sushi Kozy. Part of the proceeds and an auction during the evening go to the foundation.
On Thursday, Nov. 5, Norris hosts Under the Texas Sky at Far Out. She’s joined by Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu of JŪN in Houston, this year’s James Beard winners for Best Chef: Texas, and Ian Lanphear of Isidore in San Antonio. That dinner was open only to American Airlines AAdvantage Mastercard cardmembers, and it has already sold out. Cardmembers can still find exclusive pricing on the festival’s ticket page.
Most of the chefs at the Main Event are names Dallas diners already know, and part of the fun is that they’re all cooking in one place for an afternoon. It’s a lot easier than trying to book a table at each of their restaurants. Wear comfortable shoes and show up hungry. Plan to stay until close, too, because there are more booths than one afternoon can cover.
The Main Event is 21 and up, and you’ll need a valid photo ID at the gate. Old City Park is at 1515 S. Harwood St. in Dallas. Tickets, the full schedule and the cardmember discount are at chefsforfarmers.com. Remember that early bird pricing ends Friday.
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