4th Annual Chef Fest Brings Local Flavors Sept. 26

Tickets are still on sale for agriculturally-focused Chef Fest, happening 11 a.m. to  3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26, in Harvest Green, Houston’s first farm-centric community.

Ten celebrated Houston chefs will flex their creative muscles and showcase local produce at the Harvest Green Village Farm, 8939 Harlem Road. Beverage brands from Texas and beyond will also be onsite serving up Texas beer and wine, organic cocktails and non-alcoholic options as guests dance, dine, and enjoy the day which simultaneously raises awareness and proceeds for the Houston Food System Collaborative (HFSC).

Newly announced additions — including Chef Steven Ripley and Beverage Director Lainy Collum of BOM Hospitality Group (Monkey’s Tail and Grease Monkey) — have joined the Chef Fest family offering even more delicious options to the day’s fare. Local names such as Underground Creamery (2021 CultureMap Best Pop-up/Startup Tastemaker Awards winner), Young Hustler Coffee, and Chef Jane Wild will offer limited-availability experiences to select ticket buyers looking to get a little more hands-on at the 2021 event. And to ensure the health and safety of every guest is top of mind, the team behind the event is working closely with Fort Bend County on tight COVID protocols.

Tickets are $95 adults and $20 for children and can be purchased online. Prices include unlimited bites, five drink tickets, live music, covered dining tent, socially-distanced farm tours and more. Add-on experiences are an additional fee and range from $10 to $20. Tickets are limited for each. Admission and add-on tickets can be purchased at https://agmenity.ticketleap.com/chef-fest-2021/.

Parking for Chef Fest 2021 is located at the adjacent Travis High School, 11111 Harlem Rd, Richmond TX 77406, and complimentary bus service will deliver attendees to the Village Farm.

More information about Chef Fest is available at https://www.cheffesthouston.com.

WHAT TO EXPECT

On Sunday, Sept. 26, the Harvest Green Village Farm will transform into a culinary destination as 10 chefs, six beverage partners, two bands, and a handful of goats and farmers welcome local-supporting friends and family out for a “feast of freshness.” Together, folks from the area will gather enjoying a day filled with produce-forward dishes, signature sips, hands-on tasting experiences, live music, farm tours and more!

2021 Chef Fest Chefs Include:

  • Brandon Silva– BE Concepts
  • Chris Williams– Lucille’s Hospitality Group
  • Dawn Burrell – Late August
  • EJ Miller– The Sporting Club Houston
  • Emmanuel Chavez– Tatemo HTX
  • Jessica DeSham Timmons
  • Keisha Griggs– Bocage Catering, Ate Kitchen
  • Lindsey Fuquen– KITCH Catering
  • Sasha Grumman
  • Steven Ripley– BOM Hospitality Group

2021 Chef Fest Beverage Partners Include:

  • Buffalo Trace + Monkey’s Tail
  • Frankly Organic Vodka
  • Grease Monkey’s Zero-Poof Bar
  • Messina Hof Winery
  • Rambler Sparkling Water
  • Saint Arnold Brewing Company

2021 Chef Fest Add-On Experiences Include:

  • Coffee: From Bean To Brew with Young Hustler Coffee

Select coffee aficionados will have the opportunity to participate in a hands-on educational demonstration showcasing each stage of the coffee process. Guided by Young Hustler Coffee — a local coffee company specializing in sourcing, roasting, and brewing single-origin coffee — guests will dive deep into the world of high quality coffee walking away with the skills needed to brew the perfect cup at home.

  • Kids Cooking Class with Chef Jane Wild

Kids ages 5-12 can sign up to join Chef Jane Wild in a semi-private, all-veggie cooking class just for them! Here they will get a quick lesson on where their food comes from as well as fun ways they can prepare veggie-forward delights at home in a manner that is tasty, wholesome and inviting. There will be three classes throughout the day, each lasting 30 minutes and limited to 10 kids.

Class Times

  • 12 – 12:30 PM
  • 1 – 1:30 PM
  • 2 – 2:30 PM
  • Soft Serve Station with Underground Creamery and Island Breeze Party Rentals

What better way to top off a late-summer, on-farm afternoon than with creamy (and creative!) soft serve ice cream? For this experience, Josh Deleon of Underground Creamery and Island Breeze Party Rentals will guide a limited number of guests through a chef-drive ice cream tasting of unique flavors each celebrating the true diversity of veggies and herbs! That’s right, farm-to-cone!

Soft Serve Chefs

Chef Dawn Burrell – Late August and Bravo Top Chef Contestant

Chef EJ Miller – The Sporting Club Houston

Chef Jane Wild

Chef Sasha Grumman – Sasha’s Focaccia and Bravo Top Chef Contestant

Josh Rosas – Harvest Green Village Farm

Young Hustler Coffee

COVID PROTOCOL

Abiding to social distancing recommendations, the Chef Fest team has enlarged the Harvest Green Village Farm footprint so guests can graze, sip, and enjoy the afternoon without the usual crowd of coveted events. In addition, the following standard operating procedure will be enforced for the duration of the 2021 event:

  • Limiting the number of guests from previous events.
  • Temperature checks at event entry.
  • Lines at check-in, food and beverage stations, and restrooms will be marked to assure social distancing is maintained.
  • Individual chef tents and appropriately spaced bars under beverage tents.
  • Tables and seating scattered throughout the event.
  • Handwashing stations as well as hand sanitizer available throughout.
  • Increased cleaning staff.
  • Requiring all CHEF FEST staff and volunteers to wear face coverings and gloved hands while serving food and beverages.
  • Screening staff, chefs, sponsors, security, and talent for COVID-19 symptoms prior to entering the event site.
  • Staffing will be assigned the duty of making sure that these guidelines are being followed by everyone involved.