Attention all food and drink festival lovers: you have a new festival to add to your list!
The first annual Taste Highland Lakes food festival kicked off the third weekend in October and was a resounding success.
The Highland Lakes community and some fabulous food and drink establishments came together to showcase the “best of the Highland Lakes.”
As guests of the Kingsland Chamber of Commerce, we had the pleasure of experiencing the festival firsthand. Trust us when we tell you you want to visit it next year!
This fun festival, combined with all the great things to do in Kingsland, ensures you have all the makings for a great weekend getaway.
So, without further ado, we should dive into the top reasons you need to add Taste Highland Lakes to your 2024 travel plans!
Disclaimer- We were invited and compensated by the Kingsland Chamber of Commerce to feature Kingsland, TX. As always, the opinions expressed are unbiased and honest based on our experience during our time in Kingsland. We want to extend a special thank you to the Kingsland Chamber of Commerce for inviting us to visit their great city.
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. By purchasing through these links, we get a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Follow Us on Social Media
5 Reasons to Visit Taste Highland Lakes
The Food Vendors
Taste Highland Lakes is a one-stop-shop to taste food from all over the region.
The samples provided by each vendor showcased one or more of their signature dishes. They were the perfect portion size to give you a good taste but allow room to keep sampling.
Boat Town Burger Bar started us out strong with their delicious burger slider and fried shrimp!
Over at Hooper’s tent, we were treated to their signature chips, queso, and salsa, which we felt paired perfectly with the delicious sausages offered by Miiller’s Meat Market and Smokehouse.
We were pleased with the variety of food offerings as we made our way around the festival.
The House of Cheese from Marble Falls offered samples of some delicious cheeses and salamis (I especially loved the spicy salami), while Choccolate’s had some incredible homemade toffee!
A newcomer to the Highland Lakes scene is the catering and delivery service Fresh Bit3s.
Fresh Bit3s served up some of the best Italian meatballs I have ever put in my mouth, a fabulous egg roll, and some incredible pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies!
We were impressed by the serving sizes of the samples and the quality of the food provided during the festival.
Considering that all tastings are included with your ticket purchase, you quickly see the value for the money at this festival.
The Drink Vendors
One of my top reasons to visit Taste Highland Lakes is the fun drink vendors!
Not only did we have the opportunity to sample some of our favorites, such as Garrison Brothers Bourbon, Perissos Winery, Torr Na Lochs, Ron Yates Winery, Save the World Brewing, and Bear King Brewing, but attending the festival also gave us the opportunity to try some new local favorites like Uplift Vineyard, Siboney Cellars, and Adega Vinho!
Dulce Vida Tequila served up a delicious margarita alongside an incredible Empress 1908 Gin punch.
Everyone knows we love visiting Garrison Brothers Bourbon Distillery in the Fredericksburg area, so you know I had to partake in their bourbon tea, which was divine!
And you know that I didn’t skip the opportunity to sample the fun vodka flavors offered by Llano Craft Distillery. While this brand was new to us, it won’t be our last taste of their liquors!
One of the showstoppers at Taste Highland Lakes was Decadent Saint Winery.
Decadent Saint mixed up several different wine cocktails from their special Extra Hard Mixers, and man, were they delicious! We especially loved the passionfruit punch!
For guests who do not want alcohol, The Thirsty Armadillo served up iced coffee, flavored teas, and fresh-squeezed lemonade!
Great Location & Good Music
The first annual Taste Highland Lakes was held in The Legends Golf Course Community in Kingsland.
This beautiful community is not only on The Legends Golf Course but also a lakeside community on the banks of Lake LBJ, so you know the views are fabulous!
The area chosen for the event allowed the vendors to spread out, ensuring there was ample space for everyone.
The shade provided by the enormous trees on site was the perfect respite from the Texas sun, and the fact that they were located close to the concrete dance floor didn’t hurt either.
This year’s event featured music from Six Sons of a Gun, a popular local cover band that often plays at Boat Town Burger Bar.
I loved that guests were also given the opportunity to tour the villas and guest houses available for rent through The Legends’ “stay and play package.”
Give Back to a Good Cause
I especially loved that the proceeds collected from Taste Highland Lakes supported the local youth of Kingsland.
Giving back to the community while attending a fun event always scores high in our book!
The Community
One visit to the Highland Lakes area is all it takes to keep you returning year after year; trust us, it happened to us!
The Highland Lakes region of the Texas Hill Country consists of five lakes: Inks Lake, Lake Marble Falls, Lake Travis, Lake Buchanan, and Lake LBJ, where Kingsland is located.
This area is home to six fabulous small towns well worth exploring.
The Kingsland area, specifically, is a fabulous lakeside community full of welcoming locals.
You can enjoy all the outdoor recreation offered in the area before hitting up some boutique shops, locally-owned bars, and restaurants. We promise you won’t be disappointed!
Final Thoughts on Taste Highland Lakes
We were thoroughly impressed with the first annual Taste Highland Lakes event.
The food and drink portions were substantial, and all the vendors truly brought their “A” game.
When you combine all of this with the charm of the local community, Taste Highland Lakes is a resounding success.
We hope to see you all at the event next year!
Spread the Love! Please Share on Social Media!
You Might Also Like:
18 Best Lakes in Texas for a Fun Weekend Getaway
The 20 Best Places to Visit in Texas
11 Amazing Places to Experience Fall in Texas
The 20 Best Waterfalls in Texas
Christmas in Dallas: 12 Festive Holiday Events in Dallas
65 Awesome Texas Quotes and Texas Captions
8 Wineries in East Texas You Must Visit
The Best Wineries in Fredericksburg, TX
Austin to Fredericksburg: The Perfect Weekend Road Trip
Wimberley, TX: 16 Unique Things to Do
12 Cool Things to Do in Alpine, TX
Visiting Castroville, TX: The Little Alsace of Texas
24 Fun Things to Do in Port Aransas, Texas
16 Unique Things to Do in Glen Rose, TX
12 Awesome Things to Do in Terlingua, Texas (Terlingua Ghost Town)
About The Author
Michelle Snell is a travel writer, history buff, wine lover, and enthusiast of different cultures. Michelle enjoys bringing places to life through her informative writing style on her blogs, That Texas Couple and Totally Texas Travel. Her practical tips and suggestions help make travel dreams a reality while immersing her readers in the history, culture, and food of a region. She is happiest sipping wine in Italy or chilling on a beach with her husband, Marty.
ufabet911
Friday 5th of April 2024
I truly appreciate your technique of writing a blog. I added it to my bookmark site list and will
texasonly
Saturday 6th of April 2024
Thank you so much!!
Vanessa Chambers
Wednesday 28th of February 2024
Let's spread the love! Tag a friend who would appreciate this post as much as you did.