ZestFest 2026 - May 29-31 - Fort Worth, TX

DON'T WAIT IN LINE - GET YOUR ZESTFEST TICKETS NOW

Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of ZestFest and the 30th Anniversary of the legendary Fiery Food Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas — May 29–31, 2026 at the Will Rogers Memorial Center! 🌶 Taste hundreds of spicy and bold flavor creations 👨‍🍳 Watch celebrity chef demos LIVE on stage 🔥 Experience wild eating contests and spicy fun 🏆 Discover the winners of the Fiery Food Challenge 🎉 Meet top hot sauce makers, chefs, grill masters & food lovers from across the country

ZestFest 2026 Heats Up Fort Worth – May 29–31, 2026

Thousands of heat-seekers from across the globe are gathering to experience a fiery celebration of taste—from small-batch hot sauces and gourmet salsas to fiery snacks and next-level BBQ rubs. Attendees will be sampling the hottest new products, meeting the makers behind the heat, and testing their limits in iconic competitions.

We’re turning up the flavor for ZestFest twenty twenty six! In the heart of the Southwest, in Fort Worth Texas, our spicy family’s won! come along now, let’s go, where the spicy rivers flow! Come join the culinary fray, Together we create tradition, one bold bite today! They say magic is brewing at Spicy Food Productions, Collectors of heat, and smokin’ good concoctions. For twenty-five years, we’ve heated up this town, ZestFest's callin’, the fun is goin’ down!

Absolut And Tabasco Team Up To Launch A Spicy Vodka For Bloody Marys - SAMPLE AT THE SHOW (must show proof of age)

Absolut and Tabasco think that vodka could use a bit more heat. So the two brands have joined forces to create a new chili pepper-flavored vodka that you can SAMPLE AT ZESTFEST (must show proof of age please)

ZestFest 2026 Heats Up Fort Worth – May 29–31, 2026 The countdown is on for ZestFest 2026, returning to Fort Worth as America’s premier spicy food festival. After a sizzling 2025 event, this year promises to be even bolder, hotter, and more flavorful than ever before. It will be the 25th Anniversary of the Fiery Food Expo.

🔥 IT’S GOING TO BE A SIZZLING WEEKEND AT ZESTFEST 2026! 🔥 Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of ZestFest and the 30th Anniversary of the legendary Fiery Food Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas — May 29–31, 2026 at the Will Rogers Memorial Center! 🌶 Taste hundreds of spicy and bold flavor creations 👨‍🍳 Watch celebrity chef demos LIVE on stage 🔥 Experience wild eating contests and spicy fun 🏆 Discover the winners of the Fiery Food Challenge 🎉 Meet top hot sauce makers, chefs, grill masters & food lovers from across the country Featuring appearances by chefs including: James Nelson, Antonio Votta, Carlos Fuentes, Eddie Deen, and spicy flavor legends John Hard, Buddy Taylor, and Jason Goodman! 🎟 Grab your tickets NOW before prices rise! 🌶 Heat. Flavor. Fun. Music. Community. This is the ultimate spicy food experience!

Eddie Deen will be serving up award winning BBQ meats all weekend

ZestFest 25th Anniversary Ticket Sales - GET TICKETS NOW

ORDER TICKETS NOW

Sizzling at ZestFest, let the laughter roll, Cajun meets Asian, it’s good for the soul, Friendship and flavor in the air we’ll share, Culinary magic, it’s a spicy affair. So mark your calendars, don’t miss out on the fun, At the Amon G. Carter, the heat’s just begun, Together we rise, in culinary bliss, ZestFest 2026 — you won’t wanna miss!

Fiery Flavor Takes Center Stage at ZestFest 2026 Celebrity Chef Stage

FORT WORTH, Texas - May 17, 2026 - PRLog -- The 25th Anniversary of ZestFest is turning up the heat with an unforgettable lineup on the ZestFest Celebrity Chef Stage, featuring nationally recognized chefs, award-winning pitmasters, and spicy food industry legends serving up flavor-packed demonstrations throughout the weekend of May 29–31, 2026 at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas.

Headlining the weekend will be rising culinary star James Nelson on Saturday, May 30, and acclaimed chefs Antonio Votta and Carlos Fuentes on Sunday, May 31. Legendary Texas caterer Eddie Deen will appear all three days of the event, bringing his signature Texas hospitality and crowd-pleasing flavors to the stage. Fans can also expect multiple high-energy appearances from the spicy chef trio of John "CaJohn" Hard, Buddy Taylor, and Jason Goodman, blending Cajun flair, Southern BBQ traditions, and Asian-inspired spice creations into an entertaining culinary experience.

Houston native James Nelson, now National Sales Leader for Karma Sauce, first captured national attention as a Top 5 finalist on Gordon Ramsay's MasterChef Season 4. A longtime force in the craft hot sauce industry, Nelson co-founded Bravado Spice Co. before joining Karma Sauce in 2026 to lead national expansion efforts. With more than 100 industry awards tied to projects he has helped create, Nelson brings deep expertise and an obsession with flavor-first hot sauces that balance heat with culinary creativity.

On Sunday, Chef Antonio Votta and Chef Carlos Fuentes will showcase the elevated flavors behind Fort Worth's celebrated Bricks and Horses restaurant inside Bowie House. Chef Votta has earned praise for blending Texas ingredients, dry-aged local beef, and imaginative culinary techniques into a refined contemporary chophouse experience inspired by Texas horse culture.

Returning fan favorite Eddie Deen will bring decades of Texas culinary tradition to the stage all weekend long. Known throughout Dallas/Fort Worth for his legendary catering company, Deen has built a reputation for scratch-made barbecue, Cajun specialties, Southwestern cuisine, and memorable event experiences serving groups from 25 to 25,000 guests.

The spicy chef trio promises to deliver some of the weekend's most entertaining moments. John "CaJohn" Hard, widely known as the "Godfather of Hot Sauce," continues to shape the fiery foods industry as a consultant and recipe developer following the sale of his iconic CaJohns brand.

Joining him is Hot Sauce Hall of Fame inductee Buddy Taylor of Gator Hammock, whose award-winning sauces and bold Southern BBQ flavors have become staples across the spicy food world. Taylor's Tropic Gator line captured Golden Chile Awards at ZestFest four consecutive years from 2022–2025.

Rounding out the trio is Jason Goodman, co-owner of ZestFest and former owner/publisher of Chile Pepper Magazine. Goodman, with his second year on the Celebrity Chef Stage, brings a lifelong passion for spice, food culture, and culinary adventure to the stage.

The Celebrity Chef Stage is included with admission to ZestFest 2026, where attendees can also enjoy hundreds of spicy food samples, live demonstrations, eating contests, specialty vendors, and the excitement of the 30th Anniversary Fiery Food Challenge Awards weekend.