First-Ever Austin Meatball Festival Features Meaty Competition on November 23 - Austin, Texas

First-Ever Austin Meatball Festival Features

Meaty Competition Between Top Austin Restaurants:

Event to Benefit Local Charities Fresh Chefs Society and Citizen Generation

Austin’s latest food competition is a whole new ball game. The inaugural Austin Meatball Festival, featuring a variety of scrumptious meatballs from as many as 15 of Austin’s favorite restaurants, will take place Nov. 23 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. in the parking area and outdoor area at classic Italian eatery Winflo Osteria, located at 1315 W. Sixth St. Hosted by Winflo, the Austin Meatball Festival will benefit nonprofits Fresh Chefs Society and Citizen Generation.

The Austin Meatball Festival will include a competition in which restaurants prepare their finest meatball concoctions, from traditional and non-traditional, to meatball sandwiches and sliders. Competing restaurants include Winflo Osteria, Benji’s Cantina, Mulberry, Max’s Wine Dive, Lucky’s Puccias, Umami Mia Pizzeria, Cipollina, Cru Wine Bar, Freedmen's and Andiamo Ristorante, among others.

This savory meatball competition will be judged by a Critics’ Choice Panel of foodies and meatball aficionados, including illustrious food writer Pat Sharpe of Texas Monthly magazine, food and wine writer Jessica Dupuy of CultureMap Austin, Farm to Table’s John Lash and food and lifestyle photographer Jody Horton. In addition to the Critics’ Choice, Austin Meatball Festival guests will be able to pick their own favorites in the People’s Choice vote.

In addition to plates of meaty treats, live music will get the ball rolling in The Listening Room, Winflo’s intimate and exclusive music venue downstairs from the restaurant. Hour-long shows include performances from indie rock band The Rocketboys at 11:30 a.m., singer-songwriter Dan Dyer at 1 p.m. and alternative rockers Nelo at 2:30 p.m.

Proceeds from the Austin Meatball Festival will be donated to Fresh Chefs Society, a local nonprofit that empowers youth in foster care to enrich their lives by learning the culinary arts from community chefs and restaurants; and to Citizen Generation, which works to cultivate and promote philanthropy in Austin by engaging people in community involvement and philanthropic experiences.

Tickets to the inaugural Austin Meatball Festival are limited. Entry into the festival is $15 per person in advance or $20 per person at the door. Entry into the festival and The Listening Room is $35 per person in advance or $40 at the door. Special VIP access ($300) includes a table for four, complimentary wine and an appetizer, four swag bags and access to The Listening Room all day long. All tickets are available for purchase at  LiveVibe.Ticketbud.com/Meatball or www.AustinMeatball.com. Restaurants interested in participating in the Austin Meatball Festival may also sign up at www.AustinMeatball.com.

The Austin Meatball Festival will take place Nov. 23, and is hosted by Winflo Osteria, 1315 W. Sixth St., in Austin. For more information about the festival, visit www.AustinMeatball.com, or email AustinMeatball@gmail.com.