What to Expect at Aaron Franklin's Hot Luck Festival in Austin, 2025

Published 2 months ago• 4 minute read

Award-winning Austin pitmaster Aaron Franklin’s annual food festival Hot Luck Fest is returning to the state’s capital this Memorial Day weekend for its seventh year.

The four-day festival — which takes place from Thursday, May 22, through Sunday, May 25 — will feature a star-chef-studded lineup, including chefs like Geoff Davis, Ashleigh Shanti, and Houston’s Aaron Bludorn of Navy Blue at various Austin-area venues. By day, the focus will remain on the food, with events like Camp Sunnyside, a Sunday campfire brunch fueled by carbs, coffee, and smoky meats. At night, the festival shifts its focus to music at some of the most iconic nightlife venues in the city, which are still to be announced. New to the festival is its Friday night event, Nite Moves, where chefs recreate and reimagine some of the world’s best street food at Assembly Hall, and returning to the festival is Al Fuego, Hot Luck’s live-fire event hosted on a Texas ranch, returns on Saturday.

Festivalgoers can buy the Whole Enchilada Pass ($595 each), which gives full and early access to all four festival days, including the food events, music events, and the exclusive Whole Enchilada Party at Franklin Barbecue on Thursday night. This party, which will feature chefs Ana Castro of Acamaya, Amanda Shulman and Alex Kemp of My Loup, and Franklin himself, among others. Individual tickets to the party are also available for purchase.

A large crowd overtakes a park area with food and drink. — Hot Luck is a four-day food-fueled party in Austin.

Franklin, the James Beard Award-winning chef behind Franklin Barbecue, Guerilla Suit principal James Moody, and Feast Portland founder Mike Thelin launched the festival in 2017, modeling it after backyard cookouts and family gatherings with the goal of highlighting some of their favorite chefs, cooks, and musicians. Proceeds from the festival benefit Southern Smoke Foundation, James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd’s Houston-based nonprofit, which supports food and beverage workers in crisis.

Here is the full chef and event lineup:

5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday, May 22, 2025
Franklin Barbecue, 900 East 11th Street
Tickets: $595
Whole Enchilada full weekend pass-holders only

Those who purchase the Whole Enchilada full weekend pass will get access to this exclusive event, which features chefs, including:

Pitmaster Aaron Franklin and Houston-based award-winning chef Chris Shepherd taste bites of brisket. — Austin pitmaster Aaron Franklin has assembled a lineup of some of his favorite chefs for his annual Hot Luck Fest.

7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday, May 23, 2025
Assembly Hall, 1121 East 7th Street
Tickets: $195 (Included in the Whole Enchilada pass, which gives early access to the event at 6:30 p.m.)

Chefs from around the country convene in Assembly Hall to offer some of their most inventive recreations of street foods from around the world. Participating chefs include:

A bratwurst sits in a bun with a dollop of whipped cream on top. — Diners can try street food-inspired bites from more than a dozen chefs.

7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 24, 2025
Jester King Brewery, 13187 Fitzhugh Road
Tickets: $250 (Included in the Whole Enchilada pass, which gives early access to the event at 6:30 p.m.)

Fire is the theme at this laidback, casual Hot Luck Fest event, where more than a dozen chefs demonstrate their mastery of live-fire Texas ranch. Diners can expect cold beer, smoked meats, and cool cooking contraptions. Participating chefs include:

12 p.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, May 25
Fair Market, 1100 East 5th Street
Tickets: $195 (Included in the Whole Enchilada pass, which gives early access to the event at 11 a.m.)

The counselors at Camp Sunnyside are bringing the Hot Luck Fest to a close with a campfire brunch featuring carbs, coffee, salty meats, and more. Participating chefs include:

Tickets go on sale online at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 5.