What do you get if you take all the best things about Austin—warm weather, good food and damn good barbecue, charming people, and boot-stompin’ live music—and throw ’em into one booze-fueled, meat sweats-worthy long weekend? Hot Luck Festival, of course. Good news for all of us who love grilled meat and a good time: Hot Luck is back for another year, partnering with MUNCHIES once more, and best of all, now we know what we’re doing for Memorial Day.
From May 21 to 24, Hot Luck is taking over Austin for four days of partying, eating, and drinking with the coolest chefs, BBQ pitmasters, musicians, and all manner of folks who love to party—so you can bring your best friends or even make some new ones. Hot Luck ain’t Coachella: It’s more like a big gathering in someone’s backyard, except the food is world-class, the good vibes don’t end for days, and you’re not tasked with cooking everything.
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Founded by Aaron Franklin, renowned barbecue expert; James Moody, owner of local venue the Mohawk; and Mike Thelin, co-founder of Feast Portland, Hot Luck is headed into its fourth year, and the festival just gets better with age. This year, for example, expect music from acts like Dinosaur Jr., Hayes Carll, and DJ Jazzy Jeff.
Hot Luck has no shortage of finger-licking good food, and this year, you can expect tasty eats from all over the country, from New Orleans’ Mason Hereford and Philadelphia’s Joe Beddia to Raleigh’s Ashley Christensen and Oakland’s Reem Asil and so many more. There are plenty of hometown heroes, too, of course: from Launderette’s Laura Sawicki to Nixta Taqueria’s Edgar Rico and Olamaie’s Michael Fojtasek, and that’s not even the half of it—find the full list of chefs here.
Whether you come for the whole hoedown or just an event or two—like the campfire. brunch. party. with Matty Matheson—Hot Luck’s sure to make you realize why Austin’s got so many die-hard fans. Find the full lineup and more information here, and get your tickets while they’re fresh off the grill. Spending Memorial Day grilling in the backyard is good; going to Hot Luck is way better.
