Four Beloved Texas Food Festivals Unite at 2026 Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival as Visit Fort Worth Serves as Official Taste of Texas Sponsor
The Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation (FWFWF) today unveiled the official chef lineup for the inaugural ‘Taste of Texas’ Row, presented by Official Taste of Texas Sponsor Visit Fort Worth. With just six weeks until the 2026 Fort Worth
Food + Wine Festival (April 9–12, 2026), the Foundation now reveals the culinary leaders behind this unprecedented statewide collaboration—bringing Michelin-starred, James Beard–recognized, and nationally celebrated chefs from across Texas to Fort Worth for the all-new Saturday festival event, Fork + Fire.
Unlike any collaboration seen before in Texas, Taste of Texas Row brings together four of the state’s most influential culinary festivals — Chefs For Farmers Dallas Food + Wine Festival (Dallas), Hot Luck Festival (Austin), Southern Smoke Festival (Houston), and FWFWF’s own Fort Worth cohort — each invited to select the chefs who best represent the flavor, culture, and creativity of
their city. Conceived and developed by FWFWF Executive Director Julie Eastman, the initiative was designed to celebrate not only the individuality of each region, but the collective strength of Texas cuisine. The resulting lineup reflects the breadth and ambition of modern Texas dining today.
“This was about more than assembling great chefs,” said Julie Eastman, Executive Director of
FWFWF. “It was about bringing together friends and fellow culinary festivals to celebrate the distinct
flavors and cultures that define our state. Texas has never lacked talent; what’s rare is creating a
space where that talent can stand side by side in collaboration. That’s what Taste of Texas
represents.”
Beyond the four festival-curated chef teams, FWFWF intentionally expanded the showcase to include
a fifth perspective, the remarkable restaurants shaping Texas dining outside its largest cities. This
Hidden Gems spotlight reflects the Foundation’s ongoing statewide pursuit of talent and its
belief that some of the most compelling culinary stories are found off the beaten path.
Presented by Official Taste of Texas Sponsor Visit Fort Worth, Taste of Texas Row will unfold as
a curated, city-by-city tasting experience within Fork + Fire. Guests will move intentionally through
each section, experiencing the distinct culinary voices of Austin, Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth, and
destination-worthy cities across Texas in a format designed for exploration and discovery.
“Leave it to Fort Worth to bring together an unexpected collaboration of Texas food festivals. Our
community is built on hospitality and powered by creativity, and that’s exactly what the Fort Worth
Food + Wine Festival showcases,” said Mitch Whitten, Chief Operating Officer of Visit Fort
Worth.
