Fort Worth Food & Wine Festival Returns in March With Plenty of Booze and Barbecue

The inaugural Fort Worth Food & Wine Festival made its debut in 2014, and it's returning for a second year come March 26-29. Tickets just went on sale, and for local food festival enthusiasts who aren't quite eager enough to shell out $325 for the super-deluxe VIP package, there are also plenty of individually-ticketed events.

The first night of the festival (Thursday, March 26) promises a country music and barbecue bonanza at Billy Bob's (you know, "the world's largest honky tonk" that has a freaking rodeo inside it) featuring "a dozen of the best pit-masters in the state." Then on Friday it's time for the Grand Tasting, a booze-soaked showcase of 100-plus beers, wines, and spirits "with spotlights on Fort Worth favorites" like Rahr & Sons and Firestone & Robertson, followed by a late-night — sorry, #latenight — Desserts After Dark party that will feature creations by eight pastry chefs and eight mixologists. Saturday brings a brunch event and the self-explanatory Burgers, Brews, & Blues, and finally on Sunday there's a kid-friendly food truck event at the Coyote Drive-In movie theater; all the other events are strictly 21-and-up.

An official chef lineup hasn't yet been released, but last year's event featured a long list of local notables including Jon Bonnell, Molly McCook of Ellerbe Fine Foods, John Tesar, Bird Cafe's David McMillan, Stephan Pyles, and Grace's Blaine Staniford.