Festival Off Season

2022 Recap

Past Festivals

Houston, TX

October 21 - 23

$1,620,000

Southern Smoke Emergency Relief Fund

Chefs

Aaron Bludorn

Aaron Franklin

Abbas Dhanani

Alexana Cabrera

Ashley Christensen

Benchawan Jabthong Painter

Billy Durney

Brian Jupiter

Brooke Williamson

Bun B

Chad Houser

Cheetie Kumar

Chris Bianco

Chris Cosentino

Chris Davies

Chris Shepherd

Chris Williams

Claudette Zepeda

Dawn Burrell

Easton Sadler

Erick Williams

Felipe Riccio

Fermín Núñez

Gabriel Medina

Gail Simmons

Graham Laborde

Greg Gatlin

Greg Peters

Jack Yoss

Jacklyn Pham

Jamie Bissonnette

Jason Stanhope

John Avila

Jordan Rubin

Joshua Weissman

Karen Akunowicz

Katie Button

Kevin Fink

Leonard Botello IV

Manabu “Hori” Horiuchi

Marcus Jacobs & Caitlin Carney

Martin Stayer

Mason Hereford

Melissa Valenzuela

Mike Lata

Nicole Mills

Paola Velez

Patrick Feges & Erin Smith

Rebecca Masson

Rico Torres

Robin Wong, Terry Wong, Quy Hoang and Arash Kharat

Ryan Pera

Sarah Grueneberg

Shaun King

Stephanie Izard

Stephen Conklin

Stephen Stryjewski

Tavel Bristol-Joseph

Terrence Gallivan

Tim Reading

Tom Colicchio

Trong & Cory Nguyen

Aaron Bludorn

Aaron Franklin

Abbas Dhanani

Alexana Cabrera

Ashley Christensen

Benchawan Jabthong Painter

Billy Durney

Brian Jupiter

Brooke Williamson

Bun B

Chad Houser

Cheetie Kumar

Chris Bianco

Chris Cosentino

Chris Davies

Chris Shepherd

Chris Williams

Claudette Zepeda

Dawn Burrell

Easton Sadler

Erick Williams

Felipe Riccio

Fermín Núñez

Gabriel Medina

Gail Simmons

Graham Laborde

Greg Gatlin

Greg Peters

Jack Yoss

Jacklyn Pham

Jamie Bissonnette

Jason Stanhope

John Avila

Jordan Rubin

Joshua Weissman

Karen Akunowicz

Katie Button

Kevin Fink

Leonard Botello IV

Manabu “Hori” Horiuchi

Marcus Jacobs & Caitlin Carney

Martin Stayer

Mason Hereford

Melissa Valenzuela

Mike Lata

Nicole Mills

Paola Velez

Patrick Feges & Erin Smith

Rebecca Masson

Rico Torres

Robin Wong, Terry Wong, Quy Hoang and Arash Kharat

Ryan Pera

Sarah Grueneberg

Shaun King

Stephanie Izard

Stephen Conklin

Stephen Stryjewski

Tavel Bristol-Joseph

Terrence Gallivan

Tim Reading

Tom Colicchio

Trong & Cory Nguyen

Sponsors

Alaska Seafood

Yeti

Lexus

C. Baldwin

Food & Wine

Crown Royal

8th Wonder Brewery & Distillery

Hornitos and Tres Generations

Titos

Design by Principle

Sysco

Seff Family & Ames Family

Gee Eye Care

Haxel Landscaping

Athletic Brewery

American Express/Resy

Agricole Hospitality

Indianola

Tabasco

Cayson

HEB

Sentinel One

Rambler

City of Houston

Hirsch Vineyards

Miner Family Winery

Robert Sinskey Vineyards

Alta Marfa

C.L. Butaud

Duchman Family Winery

Southold Farm + Cellar

June's Rosé

William Chris Vineyards

Noble Vines

Quinta do Crasto

Susana Balbo Wines

Piper Sonoma

Masi

Hope Family Wines

Elouan

Echo Bay

Diora Wines

Francis Ford Coppola Winery

Argyle Winery

Becker Vineyards

Aperol

Liquid Alchemist

Jon Hart

Fogo Charcoal

Indian Head Firewood

Etchman

Copydotcom

Alaska Seafood

Yeti

Lexus

C. Baldwin

Food & Wine

Crown Royal

8th Wonder Brewery & Distillery

Hornitos and Tres Generations

Titos

Design by Principle

Sysco

Seff Family & Ames Family

Gee Eye Care

Haxel Landscaping

Athletic Brewery

American Express/Resy

Agricole Hospitality

Indianola

Tabasco

Cayson

HEB

Sentinel One

Rambler

City of Houston

Hirsch Vineyards

Miner Family Winery

Robert Sinskey Vineyards

Alta Marfa

C.L. Butaud

Duchman Family Winery

Southold Farm + Cellar

June's Rosé

William Chris Vineyards

Noble Vines

Quinta do Crasto

Susana Balbo Wines

Piper Sonoma

Masi

Hope Family Wines

Elouan

Echo Bay

Diora Wines

Francis Ford Coppola Winery

Argyle Winery

Becker Vineyards

Aperol

Liquid Alchemist

Jon Hart

Fogo Charcoal

Indian Head Firewood

Etchman

Copydotcom

Eat well. Do good.

One night in 2015, Chris’s friend and former sommelier Antonio Gianola asked if Chris could host a fundraiser for the MS Society. After learning Antonio had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis earlier that week, Chris decided to throw a party with some of his chef and pit master friends and ultimately raised $181,000 for the MS Society.

The event grew each year, with more chefs from around the country traveling to Houston to raise money for a great cause. When Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston and the food and beverage industry, we quickly changed our mission for both the Southern Smoke Festival and the Foundation to provide financial assistance to anyone in the food and beverage in crisis nationwide. We continue to serve up flavors from some of the country’s best chefs at our annual festival, all to benefit our fellow industry workers across the U.S.

Food & Wine magazine calls our three-day weekend “unmissable.” The Houston Chronicle calls it “an over-the-top barbecue-beer-and-wine festival.”

We call it our favorite way to get together. Every time you buy a festival ticket, piece of merch, or bid on an auction item, the profits directly support our Emergency Relief Fund and general operations, which gets industry individuals financial help just as soon as they need it. Grants have been used to pay for essentials like groceries, clothing, and medications, and have covered the cost of car repossessions, rent, natural disaster damages, lost wages, and more.

To date, we’ve distributed more than $10 million directly to people in need, and with your support—by wining and dining your way through the weekend—we’re able to help even more of those in need.

Cheers to a damn good time.

Past Festivals

October 21 - 23, 2022