Six Houston Food and Drink Events You Won’t Want to Miss This Fall

Fall in Houston is unleashing a whole new energy in the city. The weather is finally letting up, with the brutal heatwave behind us (we hope). Pumpkin spice treats, peak autumn dishes, and farmers markets are in full swing. New restaurants are opening, and chefs and creative minds are hosting a bevy of events and festivals, further showcasing what Houston does best — food and drink.

Here’s an ongoing roundup of some of the best events in the city where you eat and drink.

Editor’s note: This list will be updated, so be sure to check back for new events.

September

Chopd & Stewd Festival

September 30. Tickets $45-$395. Post Houston, 401 Franklin Street, 77201.

Ope Amosu, the owner of Post Houston’s West African fast-casual restaurant ChòpnBlọk, will lead Houstonians into Nigerian Independence Day with an all-day celebration of the African Diaspora. The Chopd & Stewd Festival will infiltrate the Downtown mixed-use building with a full day’s worth of cultural immersion and education, with scheduled speakers, vibrant music, wellness programming, dining, and more. Get lost in the on-site culinary village, hosted atop the Post Skylawn’s rooftop park, which will offer music, cocktails, and a stacked lineup of chefs, including Houston’s own Greg Gatlin of Gatlin’s BBQ and Gatlin’s Fins and Features, Courtney Lindsay of Mo’ Betta Brews, and Keisha Griggs of Kuji Kitchen. Visit the Òrêké Market to experience dozens of vendors. Breathe into the experience with an AfroVibes yoga session, or rev up the energy in an AfroBeats dance-off, followed by a culminating Sounds of the Motherland musical countdown with live sets by DJs Big Reeks and Tay Powers on Post’s rooftop.

Chefs for Farmers

September 30 and October 1, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. $150-$200. Autry Park, 3711 Autry Park Drive, 77019.

Finish off September strong and then dive into October with this two-day festival that teams up local chefs with farmers for a tasting extravaganza at Houston’s Autry Park. The lineup includes notable and award-winning chefs like Top Chef: Houston finalist and Jun’s Evelyn Garcia, James Beard Award-winning chef Hugo Ortega, and molecular gastronomy legend David Skinner of eculent, and farms including Animal Farm of Cat Spring, Blackwood Educational Land Institute of Hempstead, and Houston’s Verdegreens Farms.

Tickets will be available at the door and on the festival website, with VIP tickets ($200) giving attendees early access to the event starting at 1 p.m. — an hour before general admission tickets ($150) give access at 2 p.m.

Chefs for Farmers

October

Eater Houston Bookstore Event

October 5, 6:30 p.m. Free. Brazos Bookstore, 2421 Bissonnet Street, 77005.

Eater’s tour of beloved bookstores continues in Houston featuring Eater Houston editor Brittany Britto Garley in conversation with Anita Jaisinghani, the chef and co-owner of Pondicheri. For more information, visit the Brazos site.

Southern Smoke Festival

Southern Smoke Foundation’s Respect the Rosé. October 13, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. $500-$7,500. Four Seasons Hotel Houston, 1300 Lamar Street, 77010. The Throwdown: October 14, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. $175-$500. Discovery Green, 1500 McKinney Street, 77010.

James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd and his nonprofit Southern Smoke Foundation will host the seventh annual year of the culinary star-studded Southern Smoke Festival. The festival kicks off at the Four Seasons Hotel Houston on Friday, October 13 with its signature Respect the Rosé event. The swanky, 007/Monte Carlo-themed, invites diners out to try an assortment of rosés and wines hand-selected by members of the foundation along with a multi-course dinner prepared by chefs including Rebecca Masson of Houston’s Fluff Bake Bar; Michael Hudman and Andy Ticer of Memphis’ Andrew Michael; plus James Beard Award-winners Sarah Grueneberg of Chicago’s Monteverde; New Orlean’s Stephen Stryjewski of Cochon and Ryan Prewitt of Peche; and Jason Stanhope of Charleston’s Fig.

Southern Smoke’s main event, the Throwdown, will overtake Discovery Green on Saturday, October 14, showcasing the talents of more than 40 culinary stars from around the country, including Austin’s own Aaron Franklin, James Beard Award winner Chris Bianco of Phoenix, Arizona’s Pizzeria Bianco, and around 20 Houston chefs and restaurants, including Aaron Bludorn, Top Chef: Portland finalist and chef of Late August Dawn Burrell, and most recent Beard-winner Benchawan Jabthong Painter.

Rare Steak Championship

October 19, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. $135 – $325. Post Houston, 401 Franklin Street, 77201.

Twenty-four chefs from Houston-based restaurants, including Killen’s STQ, Patton’s Steakhouse, and Andiron will duke it out over the best steak bragging rights. Festivalgoers will reap the benefits, getting to try samples of the prime-cut steaks and cocktail pairings with the option to place their votes and help professional judges decide the winners.

RARE Steak Championship

November

Honeyland Festival

November 11 and 12. $95-$295. The Crown Festival Park at Sugar Land, 18355 Southwest Fwy, Sugar Land, 77479.

This two-day event is slated to bring some of the biggest names in the food and music industry to Houston this fall, all in the name of showcasing Black creativity and professionals across the food, beverage, music, and art industries. Hosted at Sugar Land’s Crown Festival Park, the festival will feature food and beverage demonstrations, cook-off competitions, panel and podcast conversations, and concerts from major acts, including Grammy Award-winning singer Mary J. Blige, Jazmine Sullivan, Nigerian singer TEMS, Houston-native Tobe Nwigwe, and Chlöe Bailey. Here’s what lauded chef Marcus Samuelsson, who is curating the food programming for the festival,

Honeyland

Autry Park

3711 Autry Park Drive, Houston, TX 77019 Visit Website

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Four Seasons Hotel Houston

1300 Lamar Street, , TX 77010 (713) 650-1300 Visit Website

POST Houston

401 Franklin Street, , TX 77201 (713) 999-2550 Visit Website

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Discovery Green

1500 McKinney Street, , TX 77010 (713) 400-7336 Visit Website