This Weekend: 7th Annual Dripping with Taste Festival

Each September, as Autumn peeks around the nearest small town corner, some of Texas’ best and brightest businesses come together to celebrate the Dripping with Taste Festival in Dripping Springs, TX.

Pull up your boots and prepare for a day of fine cuisine, wine, craft brews, spirits and more as the 7th annual Dripping with Taste comes together. On September 13, 2014, thousands will gather at the Ranch Park Events Center to celebrate and raise funds for the preservation and promotion of the character, tradition and historical charm of one of Austin’s closest Hill Country cities.

The community of Dripping Springs, which was recently named the Wedding Capital of Texas®, will play host to guests, along with local and neighboring artisans of gourmet food, beverages, music and art from 12–7PM. Let this be your opportunity to indulge in the local goods and meet the talent behind many of the Hill Country’s savory assets. Dripping with Taste will not disappoint even the most fickle of palettes, boasting the largest collection of Texas wines under one roof.

With an adult ticket, you have an opportunity to taste food and beverages, and enter yourself into door prizes which will be drawn every 30 minutes. Branch out and get clever with your favorite pairings of food from the indulgent kitchens of the Hill Country and one of more than 30 wine makers, craft brewers and a 2014 addition, Texas distilleries.

There will be another notable addition, this one international in flavor. “This year we’re glad to welcome a new chef in Dripping Springs, Polo Valdez of Yapa’s Artisan Empanadas, all the way from Chile!” says the Chamber’s Visitors Bureau director, Pam Owens.

With 165,000 square feet of expansive covered space, the festival will feature a day full of local musical acts, including the Chubby Knuckle Choir and more. You can see the entire music schedule and purchase your tickets at drippingwithtaste.com. Other ticket highlights include:

• Distillery sampling from – Dripping Springs Vodka, Treaty Oaks Distillery and Deep Eddy Vodka. New to the event, our local distilleries are coming in with a bang and will be located in a separate room. Make sure you don’t miss them.

• Wine sampling from – award winning Becker Vineyards, Wedding Oak Winery, Lewis Wines and more. Nearly 30 vineyards will participate this year and that means you have just as many opportunities to raise your glass.
  

  People’s Choice allows festival attendees to vote for their favorites

• Craft brew sampling from – Circle Brewing, Jester King, Twisted X and more. The best in Texas craft brews will be on hand to talk mash, hops and yeast. Get your beer geek on!

• People’s Choice voting opportunities allow you, the fans, to vote for your festival favorites. Be sure to do more than just taste, get to know your favorite personalities behind the Dripping culinary and imbibed fervor.

• A Dripping exclusive, Grape Stomp. Find your way to the grapes, kick off your shoes, and stick your toes in the juice! Sign up for the Stomp when you arrive at the event.

Take home a piece of the Hill Country as you spend the day dripping with taste, talent, crafts and Texas charm. Be sure to share pictures of your day’s activities on the Dripping with Taste Facebook or Twitter page and feel free to add #TexasToDo. In fact, find me and snap a picture for us to post to The Austinot page!

 

@CrisMueller asks:

Have you been to a past Dripping with Taste Festival? What was your experience?

 

Disclosure: I’ve worked with Dripping Springs Chamber, which organizes Dripping With Taste Festival, to promote the cool things going on within their slice of Texas Hill Country. All opinions are my own.