Southern Smoke Foundation Festival 2025 Tickets

The countdown is on: The highly anticipated Southern Smoke Festival 2025 (SSF25) is officially set to light up Discovery Green in Downtown Houston on Saturday, October 4 with a star-studded lineup — and tickets are on sale now.

Each year, this unmissable event brings together an incredible lineup of culinary and beverage talent from across the nation, all in support of the Southern Smoke Foundation’s vital mission: providing emergency relief and mental health support to food and beverage industry workers nationwide. Over the years, Southern Smoke Foundation has granted more than $14.5M to food and beverage workers, and since 2020, has provided over 7,400 no-cost counseling sessions.

Hosted by 2013 F&W Best New Chef Chris Shepherd and Executive Director Lindsey Brown, the Southern Smoke Festival was founded in 2015. This year, expect the biggest, boldest, and most delicious iteration yet, with over 85 chefs, mixologists, sommeliers, and hospitality icons offering show-stopping bites, sips, cooking demonstrations, and experiences.

SSF25’s chef lineup reads like a who’s who of the nation’s top kitchens. From Wylie Dufresne (Stretch Pizza, NYC) to Rodney Scott (Rodney Scott’s BBQ, Charleston), and from Cheetie Kumar (Ajja, Raleigh)  to Tim Flores and Genie Kwon (Kasama, Chicago), this festival is a feast of talent.

Representing Houston, fan favorites like Aaron Bludorn, Ope Amosu, Greg Gatlin, Alba Huerta, Evelyn Garcia, and Henry Lu will showcase the city’s best. You’ll also catch national stars like Ashley Christensen, Aaron Franklin, Mason Hereford, Erick Williams, and Lee Anne Wong firing up the action.

Additionally, many of the participating chefs are F&W Best New Chefs, including,: Valerie and Nando Chang, Isabel Coss, Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Calvin Eng, Angel Barreto,  Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Ana Castro, Kevin Fink, Silver Iocovozzi, Caroline Schiff, Lawrence “LT” Smith, Caroline Glover, Rob Rubba, Amanda Shulman, Ed Szymanski, Brian Lea, and Leina Horii, and more.

And here’s something extra special: the 2025 Class of F&W Best New Chefs — that’s yet to be revealed — will cook together for the first time ever in a dedicated zone presented by Skadden. 

While SSF25 is a celebration of food and community, it’s rooted in a deeper purpose. Money raised at the event supports Southern Smoke Foundation’s direct work providing emergency assistance and accessible mental health services to those in need in the food and beverage industry. More than just a food festival, it’s a party with purpose, where you can indulge, connect, and give back. Tickets are on sale now at southernsmoke.org.