Signature weekend introduces expanded full-venue experiences, two newly reimagined events, and the first-ever collaboration bringing regional food festivals from Austin, Dallas, and Houston to Fort Worth
– The Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation (FWFWF) announced today that tickets for the 2026 Spring Festival (April 9–12, 2026) are officially on sale and unveiled major updates to the festival’s format, including two newly reimagined signature events with expanded full-venue programming on both Saturday and Sunday. This year also marks a groundbreaking moment of culinary collaboration with the debut of “Taste of Texas Row”—the first collaboration of its kind in the Southwest, and one of the first in the nation, in which multiple regional food festivals join a host city’s lineup. Chefs For Farmers Dallas Food + Wine Festival(Dallas), Hot Luck Festival (Austin), Southern Smoke Festival (Houston), and FWFWF will each bring curated chef teams to Fort Worth, offering guests an unprecedented statewide tasting experience.
This year’s reimagined festival events offer guests a streamlined experience that provides more access, more variety, and more opportunity to explore the full breadth of Heart of the Ranch without having to choose between overlapping events. Fan-favorite signature events Tacos + Tequila and The Main Event return, while Saturday and Sunday now feature two expanded, full-venue anchor experiences: Fork + Fire and The Big Brunch. Each brings together restaurant-driven tastings, live-fire cooking (aka “The Fireside”), beverage partners, and musical entertainment for an immersive and wide-ranging event experience that reflects the evolution of Fort Worth’s culinary scene.
One of 2026’s most significant additions is the debut of “Taste of Texas Row”, launching inside Saturday’s all-new Fork + Fire. For the first time in the Southwest region—and as one of the first examples of this model nationwide—the Foundation will welcome three iconic regional festivals—Chefs For Farmers Dallas Food + Wine Festival (Dallas), Hot Luck Festival (Austin), and Southern Smoke Festival (Houston)—to join the Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival in creating a statewide tasting experience unlike anything the spring season has offered before. Each festival will curate a lineup of four chefs who reflect the distinct culinary identity and creative spirit of their home city, complemented by FWFWF’s own tent showcasing leading North Texas talent. Rounding out the experience is a dedicated Hidden Gems showcase featuring exceptional restaurants and chefs from across Texas—off-the-beaten-path standouts whose work deserves recognition alongside the state’s major culinary players. Just steps away, “The Fireside” brings a completely different energy to the evening, with chefs turning out smoke-kissed dishes over open flames. Together, these two distinct environments—and the five tasting areas within Taste of Texas Row—offer festivalgoers a rare, wide-angle view of where Texas dining is today, where it’s headed, and what travelers can expect to discover across the state’s most exciting culinary communities.
The Big Brunch, debuting as the festival’s new Sunday finale, blends a wide range of brunch flavors with FWFWF’s signature outdoor live-fire offerings. Guests can explore two distinct culinary areas—Brunch Bites Row and “The Fireside”—paired with two musical settings, from soulful gospel to lively country music. The result is a flexible, welcoming experience where festivalgoers can enjoy brunch their own way, surrounded by great food, great drinks, and the easy rhythm of a spring afternoon in Fort Worth.
“Each year, our goal is to create experiences that feel meaningful, memorable, and deeply connected to our culinary community,” said Julie Eastman, Executive Director of the Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation. “This refreshed festival format allows us to bring even more to the table—more room for chefs to shine, more opportunities for guests to explore, and new ways for us to share what makes food culture in Fort Worth so special. Introducing events like Fork + Fire and The Big Brunch, alongside the new “Taste of Texas” collaboration, reflects our commitment to growing with our supporters and continuing to offer something exciting, delicious, and distinctly ours.”
As the Festival continues to evolve, so does the Foundation behind it. Beyond producing one of North Texas’ most anticipated culinary weekends, the Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation remains focused on strengthening the region’s hospitality community year-round—supporting local students through scholarships and grants, providing relief resources for food and beverage workers, and championing emerging chefs and entrepreneurs through new initiatives like the Kirkpatrick Visionary Award and Industry Insights series. Together with its expanded spring programming, these efforts reflect the Foundation’s belief that great festivals don’t just celebrate a community—they help sustain it, nurture it, and ensure it thrives for years to come. This 2025–2026 season, BMW returns as Presenting Sponsor, furthering its support for FWFWF’s mission of elevating Fort Worth’s dynamic food and beverage community. To date, the Foundation has invested more than $610,000 back into its community.
Chef lineup, Taste of Texas culinary concepts, and additional 2026 event announcements will follow. For more information about the Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation or to arrange interviews, please contact Ivy Lopez at ivy@hollandcollective.co.
Spring Event Lineup
Tacos + Tequila | Thursday, April 9 Returning
Early Entrance 5:30–9 PM – $129 || General Admission 6:30–9 PM – $75
A high-energy kickoff celebrating bold flavors, creative tortillas, and handcrafted tequila cocktails curated by chefs and beverage pros from North Texas and beyond.
The Main Event | Friday, April 10 Returning
Early Entrance 5:30–9 PM – $229 || General Admission 6:30–9 PM – $145
The Festival’s cornerstone tasting returns with hundreds of bites, pours, and sips from top chefs, artisan producers, craft brewers, distillers, and winemakers.
Fork + Fire | Saturday, April 11 ALL NEW
Early Entrance 5–9 PM – $159 || General Admission 6–9 PM – $105
A fully reimagined Saturday-night experience, Fork + Fire brings the statewide “Taste of Texas Row” showcase together with FWFWF’s expanded live-fire grilling offerings, “The Fireside”—each in their own dedicated areas within Heart of the Ranch. Guests will discover exceptional food, premium beverages, and two music stages—serving up bluesy, country music, and a DJ set— in a full-venue celebration of Texas flavor, craft, and creativity.
The Big Brunch | Sunday, April 12 ALL NEW
Early Entrance 11:30 AM–3:30 PM – $149 || General Admission 12:30–3:30 PM – $95
The Big Brunch debuts as a relaxed, wide-open Sunday finale featuring sweet and savory brunch offerings alongside FWFWF’s signature live-fire cooking area—”The Fireside”. With two distinct music environments—gospel on one stage and country on the other—guests can curate the brunch style that suits them best.
Tickets for all spring events are available now at fwfwf.org. Tickets cover all the food and beverages one can (responsibly) consume at the event.
FORT WORTH FOOD + WINE FESTIVAL AT-A-GLANCE
DETAILS:
- April 9 – April 12, 2026
- Heart of the Ranch at Clearfork
- 500 Clearfork Main St | Fort Worth, TX 76109
- Website: fwfwf.org
● Facebook: facebook.com/FortWorthFoodandWineFestival/
● Instagram: @fortworthfwf
ABOUT THE FORT WORTH FOOD + WINE FOUNDATION
Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable foundation that is funded by proceeds from the annual Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival and charitable donations from the public. The Foundation celebrates local culinary talent today while also helping protect it for tomorrow, funding culinary scholarships, classroom grants, and more, creating bright futures for local students, their families, and the community. For more information, visit FWFWF online.
