As Memorial Day weekend approaches, Austin is preparing for the return of its popular Hot Luck Live Food & Music Festival. The Festival is coming back to the city for its seventh annual celebration of food and music featuring acclaimed chefs and live performances.
Highlights
- The Hot Luck Live Food & Music Festival will return with its seventh annual celebration in 2025.
- This 4-day live food and music festival in Austin will start on May 22.
- From street foods and barbecue items to performances by The Spits and White Denim, the festival promises a grand weekend of festivities.
The 7th Annual Hot Luck Live Food & Music Festival Returns to Austin
Attendees with their food items at the Hot Luck Live Food & Music Festival (Source: @hotluckfestinstagram)
Attendees can enjoy Memorial Day weekend by exploring some inventive foods by day and dancing to groovy numbers by night. An initiative by Michelin-recognized and James Beard-awarded pitmaster Aaron Franklin, the four-day festival starts on May 22.
Bringing a blend of food and music, the Austin-based event is led by Feast Portland’s co-founder, Mike Thelin, and Mohawk’s owner, James Moody.
Food Activities at the 4-Day Festival
The Hot Luck Live Food & Music Festival will present the Austin crowd with mouthwatering eats for four days (Source: @hotluckfestinstagram)
Attendees can expect a variety of offerings, including street food, barbecue, and live-fire cooking.
Whole Enchilada Party
The anticipated Hot Luck Live Food & Music Festival will take off with a taco party through preparations by celebrated chefs on May 22. The Austin crowd can attend the event with the Whole Enchilada full weekend pass. The chefs for the first-day kick-off event include:
- Aaron Franklin
- Lawrence “LT” Smith
- Ana Castro
- Amanda Shulman and Alex Kemp
- Geoff Davis
Timing: 5:30 pm-9 pm
Venue: Franklin Barbecue (900 E 11th St, Austin, TX 78702)
Tickets for the Giddy Up event are available at the festival’s official website.
Nite Moves
This food event will feature late-night street food from chefs across the country, with mouthwatering street food offerings on May 23. Guests can take a walk along the East Austin-based Assembly Hall and try out food items. The street foods will be presented by:
- Cheetie Kumar
- Andy Quinn
- Arlin Smith & Andrew Taylor
- Ariana Quant
- Bob Somsith
- Sophina Uong
- Jeremy Sewall
- Sarah Lim
- Yoshi Okai
- Tavel Bristol-Joseph
- Valerie Chang
- Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel
Timing: 7 pm-10 pm
Venue: Assembly Hall (1121 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702)
Austin residents can go to the Nite Moves event through tickets available at the festival’s official website.
Al Fuego
With fire being the main theme of this casual backyard cookout, the Hot Luck Live Food & Music Festival will offer Austin residents smoked meats. The live-fire Texas event will also allow attendees to enjoy cold beer and cool cooking equipment on May 24. Al Fuego’s star-studded chefs include:
- Edgar Rico
- Xose Velasco
- Ashleigh Shanti
- Todd Duplechan
Timing: 7 pm-10 pm
Venue: Jester King Brewery (13187 Fitzhugh Rd, Austin, TX 78736, United States)
Residents and visitors of Austin can enjoy live-fire cooking and smoked meats with tickets available on the festival’s official website.
Camp Sunnyside
This Sunday event during the Hot Luck Live Food & Music Festival will offer Austin’s attendees a brunch escape. There will be ‘counselors’ who will offer them a campfire eating arrangement where they can savor cards, salty cooked meats, and coffee. Below are some participating chefs on May 25.
- Ashley Christensen
- Diego Galicia
- Fiore Tedesco
- Beto Robledo
- Ian Thurwachter
- Fermín Núñez
- Paola Velez
- Sarah McIntosh
Timing: 12 pm-3 pm
Venue: Fair Market (13187 Fitzhugh Rd, Austin, TX 78736, United States)
Tickets for the final food event of the Hot Luck Live Food & Music Festival are available at its official website.
Live Music at the Hot Luck Live Food & Music Festival 2025
The Spits and White Denim will perform at the Hot Luck Live Food & Music Festival (Source: @hotluckfest.com)
To make the Memorial Day Weekend a grand celebration, organizers have continued with their tradition of musical events this year as well. From jazz fusion and blues to indie rock and cover bands, Hot Luck Live Food & Music Festival will keep the Austin crowd entertained.
The performing bands this year are The Spits (on May 23) and White Denim (on May 24), which will be performing at the Mohawk (912 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701, United States). Guests can attend these music concerts with the Whole Enchilada pass.
The Hot Luck Live Food & Music Festival promises to celebrate the Memorial Day Weekend with a packed schedule of food events and live performances throughout the weekend.
