If you like food and wine, this is the weekend for you. It’s time for the annual Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival at the Heart of the Ranch at Clearfork. The festivities get underway Thursday (April 4) and continue through Sunday.
We know everyone likes food but if wine is not your drink of choice the festival will serve up beer and other tasty beverages to satisfy a plethora of taste buds.
This is a weekend the lovely Mrs. Junell and I mark on our calendar every year. While not ranked ahead of them, it certainly takes its prominent place in line with anniversaries, birthdays and holidays.
Heck, some of us might even petition for it to become a holiday someday. After all, if static electricity can have its own holiday – Jan. 9, look it up – certainly a scrumptious event like this deserves one as well.
Perhaps we could combine the two. After all, as much fun as static electricity can be – though not so much for the person being shocked, I guess – imagine the chuckles it will bring after a glass or two of some joy juice.
But holiday or not, trust me when I say the Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival – FWFWF, if you like acronyms– is grand fun. In fact, I challenge you not to have an absolute blast at one, or even all, of the delicious sessions during the four-day festival
And it benefits a great cause, the Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation. You know why lots of folks compliment the great food in our fare burg (not short for burgers, though we have some of the world’s best)? Well, it’s because we have some of the greatest chefs around.
The FWFWF (also the abbreviation for the Foundation) is helping keep that great reputation strong by providing scholarships to young future great chefs. Your ticket to the festival helps provide such scholarships.
To date, the foundation has raised more than $325,000 for grants and scholarships supporting deserving culinary students from Fort Worth, and has helped more than 225 local chefs with financial support during hardships.
So, when you hear of a new young headlining chef at a restaurant or when the food tastes even more delicious than it sounds (or looks in the photo), perhaps you should thank the foundation. But then, I suppose they should also thank you.
The Food + Wine Festival is more than just lining up and eating delicious food at booth after booth (though, trust me, you’ll have to race me for a spot in line). And it’s more than sampling the tastiest beverages of the adult kind (if you plan to imbibe, by the way, please consider ride sharing).
Beyond the food and drink, the festival also features much great music that I encourage you to sit and enjoy. The name is probably long enough but it could be called the Fort Worth Food + Wine + Fantastic Music Festival.
Bottom line is you’re going to have a good time. As a guy who used to sell inexpensive suits on TV was known for saying, “I guarantee it.”
A few things to remember when you go:
Your ticket to the Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival covers all the food and beverages you can (responsibly, of course) consume at the event. Just bring your appetite and enjoy.
All events are restricted to ages 21 and over. No children.
No pets allowed, except for service animals.
Download your tickets to Apple or Android Wallet ahead of time.
Use of ride sharing is recommended.
Don’t worry about the weather, the event is going on rain or shine. So, if it looks like rain, grab an umbrella or poncho and come on out.
Remaining tickets for sessions:
Saturday, April 6
Rise & Dine
Noon-2:30 p.m., $65.
Burgers, Brews & Blues
6:30-9 p.m., $85.
Sunday, April 7
Ring of Fire
2-5 p.m., $85.
For tickets and more info, visit the FWFWF website.
Rick Mauch writes regularly for the Fort Worth Business Press, covering a wide array of topics including business, sports and entertainment.
