Will travel for food

Delicious wine and food festival springs into Texas Hill Country

Say cheers to the Hill Country at the Dripping with Taste Wine & Food Festival.

If you consider yourself a foodie, there’s really no excuse not to make a quick jaunt to the Texas Hill Country. But if the siren song of top-notch wineries, tasty restaurants, and award-winning breweries isn't alluring enough, make a date for this year's Dripping With Taste Wine and Food Festival.

The 11th annual event is returning to the Dripping Springs Ranch Park on September 8 for a day celebrating the best in Texas Hill Country food and drink. The party combines tastings from two dozen area wineries and bites from top local chefs with live music, cooking and mixology demos, and grape stomping among the fun diversions.

“Dripping With Taste is the place to discover a new Texas winery, or to try a new concoction from one of our distilleries or a craft beer from a local brewery,” said Pam Owens, president and CEO of the Dripping Springs Visitor Bureau, in a release. “Better yet, it’s a great way to spend an afternoon with friends enjoying some toe-tapping music and having some great food, too!”

The beverage lineup this year features favorites like Lewis Wines, Duchman Family Winery, Treaty Oak Distilling, and Jester King and a fresh slate of newcomers. Freshman wineries include Bingham Family Vineyards, Henly Vineyards, and Whitefox Vineyards. They join boozy newbies like Texas Sake Company, Desert Door Sotol, and Nine Banded Whiskey.

There are plenty of new restaurants on the line-up, too. Wimberley Shave Ice will be dishing out frozen treats, while Winner Winner, Enrico’s Blaze Pizza, Rancho Queso Cheese Shop, The League Kitchen & Tavern, The Salty German, and more will take care of savory cravings.

Yet another first-timer at the festival, chef Andrew Stiver of Vista Brewing restaurant will lead a cooking demo with free tastings for the first 75 attendees. Later in the day, Whiskey Chick’s Deb Niemeyer will lead a class on how to develop a whiskey palate.

As if all that wasn’t enough, there will be a cigar lounge, a visit from the traveling Beer Museum of Texas, and door prizes will be given away all day. And with pre-sale tickets running only $40, it is one of the biggest festival bargains in the state.

Proceeds from Dripping with Taste go to promoting tourism through the visitors bureau and the Dripping Springs High School's hospitality program. We hope at least a few of the graduates will wind on the event’s lineup in the coming years.

festivals

State Fair for less

All the ways to save on tickets for the 2024 State Fair of Texas

Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas

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The 2024 State Fair of Texas debuts in Dallas on September 27, starting a three-week run through October 20 with rides, fried food, music, and fun.

Given the amount of money visitors are likely to spend inside the gates, it's smart to try to save money on admission into the Fair - especially if you're traveling across the state for it from San Antonio. That's where we come in: Below you will find every possible way to get a discount on tickets for the 2024 event.

Prices for single day tickets (which are on sale now) vary by the day.

If you go on a weekday, prices at the gate are $10 for kids 3-12 and seniors, and $15 for adults. That bumps up to $15 and $20 on Fridays and $18 and $25 on Saturdays and Sundays. If you can wait until 5 pm, adults can get in for the price of a kids ticket, a savings of up to $7.

If you're not sure what day of the week you want to go, the Fair also offers Premium Tickets for $24 that are good on any day, giving at least a saving of $1 for adults on weekends (premium tickets are also available in two- and four-pack combos that include $50 worth of food, ride, and game tickets.).

The Season Pass is a great option for those who know they'll be attending multiple times. This option is available for $60, which pays for itself after three visits if you're an adult. The season pass also includes two vouchers for $5 off parking, one Bring-A-Friend ticket, $10 off State Fair Merchandise with any $50 Purchase, and more goodies.

Premium tickets and season passes are now available at BigTex.com/Tickets, and CultureMap has some special deals for our readers.

When you use code 24mapCOMBO, you will receive $24 off a Season Pass & Coupon 2-pack or $24 off a Premium Ticket & Coupon 4-pack.

You can also save $12 off a Premium Ticket & coupon 2-pack (along with the $24 off a Premium Ticket & Coupon 4-pack) when you use promo code 24mapPACK.

Midway at the State Fair of Texas Old coupons can now be used in the Midway. Photo courtesy of the State Fair of Texas

But those are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the discounts you can get on certain special days during the Fair:

Peanut Butter Drive Opening Day (Friday, September 27) - Anyone who brings two jars of peanut butter to donate to the North Texas Food Bank will receive $10 admission at the gate.
Dr Pepper Value Days – Big Tex Insiders (aka those who sign up to get e-mails from the State Fair ) can purchase tickets online for $10 on Dr Pepper Value Days, which is every Tuesday and Thursday of the Fair. To receive the promotion code, sign up at BigTex.com/Insider. (Or, psst, you can also use the code 24cultureMAP to get the same deal.)
North Texas Food Bank, Feed the Need: Every Wednesday of the Fair, visitors can bring five canned food items to receive admission for only $5. All canned donations go to the North Texas Food Bank, which helps feed members of the community.
Senior Day: Every Thursday of the Fair, senior citizens 60 years and older receive admission to the Fair for only $5.
McDonald's coupons: Discount coupons are available at participating McDonald’s locations throughout Dallas-Fort Worth on tray liners and inside meal bags, giving a savings of $5 on any day of the week.
Military Appreciation Day sponsored by Chevrolet: All active duty military, retired military, and veterans save $5 off any day when they present valid documentation of military service at the gate or online. Spouses of service men and women with a valid Military Spouse ID and accompanying children under the age of 18 also receive discounted admission.
First responders:All first responders get the same discount of $5 off on any day when they present a valid badge or ID card from their department or organization at the gate or online. Spouses of first responders and accompanying children under the age of 18 also receive discounted admission.
Ride DART or TRE and save: Not only can DART take you right to the front gate of Fair Park instead of having to deal with parking, you can enter the promo code 24DARTSAVE when purchasing your fair admission on the State Fair’s website and receive $5 off admission any day of the week. Those coming from Fort Worth can ride TRE and get the same discount from the GoPass app.
Group Tickets and Corporate Discount Program: If you're planning on bringing a big group or your company to the Fair, they offer unspecified deals for both; go to BigTex.com for more information.

In addition to ticket discounts, you can also save on rides on Thrilling Tuesdays, when most rides on the Midway are four coupons, with kiddie rides discounted to three coupons on Tuesdays (exceptions include the Thrillway and the Texas Star Ferris Wheel).

If food savings are what you're after, Thrifty Thursdays give you a chance to try signature menu items at participating food vendors at a reduced price, ranging from mini versions to regular-size items.

Finally, for all the hoarders out there, check your drawers for old Food and Midway Coupons from past Fairs. Those coupons are good for this and all future Fairs, and as of 2023, you can use them on food, rides, AND for games.

More information about new attractions, food, firearms policy, best ways to get the Fair, and more can be found here.

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