Southern Smoke Festival

About this happenin

Chef Chris Shepherd started Southern Smoke in 2015 as a party with his chef and pitmaster friends, after a friend and former sommelier was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. That first one raised $181,000 for the MS Society. When Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in 2017, the foundation turned to helping food and beverage workers in crisis, and the festival is now its largest fundraiser. It takes over Discovery Green in downtown Houston on a Saturday in early October, with chefs and bartenders from around the country cooking and pouring at tents across the park. A general admission ticket covers all the food and drinks from 4 to 8 p.m., with live music. Ticket holders can watch cooking demos at the culinary stage and get cookbooks signed. VIP tickets get in an hour early. The money goes to the foundation's Emergency Relief Fund and to Behind You, its free counseling program for people who work in the industry.

More in October: 13 other Houston events.

Where

Discovery Green · 1500 McKinney Street, Houston, TX 77010