Hot Luck's Friday night feast at Franklin Barbecue on Oct. 16 cannot be bought on its own. Per the festival's own event page, Giddy Up is open only to holders of the $349 Whole Enchilada pass, while Saturday's House Party at Assembly Hall sells separately at $189 before fees. Hot Luck is Aaron Franklin's food-and-music festival in East Austin, Texas, and this year it is two nights, Oct. 16 and 17. Austin Texas Things has not been to the 2026 edition yet. Every price and time below comes from Hot Luck's pages or its ticket sellers, read Saturday, Oct. 10.
Hot Luck's own site still carries last May's dates and placeholder text on some pages. The 2026 facts here come from the event pages, the Eventim and Etix ticket pages, and Austin Food Magazine's July announcement. Fees are added on top of the face prices.
Illustration: AI-generated scene, not a photo of Hot Luck or any venue named here.
What does Hot Luck 2026 include, and where is it?
Three events, all in East Austin or Red River, across two nights:
| When | What | Where | Who gets in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Oct. 16, 5:30–9 PM | Giddy Up, a live-fire feast | Franklin Barbecue, 900 E. 11th St. | Whole Enchilada pass holders only |
| Fri, Oct. 16, show 9 PM | Mon Rovîa with Deer Fellow | Mohawk, 912 Red River St. | Pass holders, or a separate $41 ticket |
| Sat, Oct. 17, 6–9 PM | House Party | Assembly Hall, 1121 E. 7th St. | Pass holders, or a separate ticket |
Hot Luck's Giddy Up page says "no individual tickets are available for this event." The festival's page for the Mohawk show says doors are at 8 p.m. and the show starts at 9. The Etix ticket page for the same show lists doors at 7 and the show at 8. Those two disagree, so check the ticket you buy.
What does the $349 Whole Enchilada pass buy?
Per Hot Luck's pass page, the $349 adult pass covers all music, bites and beverages at Giddy Up on Friday and House Party on Saturday, plus the music shows both days. Beverages are for ages 21 and up. Eventim, the ticket seller, lists it at $349 face value plus a $24.06 service fee, $373.06 in total, as of Oct. 10.
The other passes, per the same page:
- Family Pack, $700: two adult passes and two Youngster passes. Eventim lists $746.71 with the fee.
- Youngster, $100: ages 13 to 20.
- Kiddo, free: ages 12 and under, only with an adult pass, added on the second screen at checkout.
Eventim caps an order at 10 tickets. If you are buying for a table, buy in one order so everyone's passes are on one confirmation.
Is the pass worth it, or should you just buy a House Party ticket?
Eventim's House Party page lists general admission at $189 face value, $211.18 with fees. Ages 13 to 20 and college students pay $100 face value, and kids 12 and under are free. At that price you get Saturday's food-and-drink party, the bigger of the two culinary nights.
By our arithmetic, the $349 pass costs $160 more than a House Party ticket at face value. For that you get Giddy Up, which cannot be bought any other way, plus entry to the Mohawk show. Mon Rovîa's separate ticket is $35 face value, $41 with fees, per Etix. So the pass is worth it if you want Friday's feast at Franklin. If you want one big night, Saturday alone is the cheaper way in.
We have not checked whether either night is close to selling out. Eventim showed tickets available when we read the pages.
Who is cooking?
Illustration: AI-generated scene, not a photo of Assembly Hall or any venue named here.
Giddy Up (Friday), per Hot Luck's event page: Caroline Glover of Annette, Deau Arpapornnopparat of Holy Basil, Ernest Servantes of Burnt Bean Co., Hayden Higginbotham Pérez and Margarito "Mago" Pérez of Paprika ATX, the Khoi Brothers of Khói Barbecue, Kyle Knall of Birch in Milwaukee, Rebecca Masson of Fluff Bake Bar, Tavel Bristol-Joseph of Canje, Todd Duplechan of Lenoir, Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel of Birdie's, and Franklin Barbecue itself. The page describes the night as inspired by backyard gatherings, with chefs front and center.
House Party (Saturday), per the event page: 18 names, including Aaron Bludorn of Bludorn, Bob Somsith of Lao'd Bar, Calvin Eng of Bonnie's, Edgar Rico of Nixta Taqueria, Evan LeRoy of LeRoy and Lewis, Fermín Núñez of Este, Kevin Fink of Pullman Market and Emmer Hospitality, Mason Hereford of Turkey and The Wolf, Mariela Camacho of Comadre Panaderia, and Chris Shepherd, listed as Food & Wine's editor in chef.
Evan LeRoy's restaurant is one of the Austin barbecue spots in this week's Michelin story. Hot Luck does not publish a dish list, so what anyone serves is unknown until the night.
What will the weather do?
Open-Meteo's forecast, pulled Oct. 10, six days out, has Friday around 78° with a 64° low and a 20% chance of rain. Saturday drops to about 63° with a 56° low and a 3% chance of rain. That is a 15-degree swing between the two events, and Saturday's House Party is described as indoor-outdoor. Forecasts this far out move, so check again Thursday. Plan to bring a layer for Saturday regardless.
What to know before you go
- Giddy Up is Friday only and pass-only. It runs 5:30 to 9 p.m., per Hot Luck. Austin Food Magazine's July announcement says 9:30, so trust the festival's own page and your ticket.
- Mohawk times conflict. Hot Luck says doors at 8 and the show at 9. Etix says doors at 7 and the show at 8. The show is all ages, per Etix.
- We did not find parking or transit details. Hot Luck's pages do not publish them, so we are not claiming any. Check your ticket email.
- Hot Luck partners with the Southern Smoke Foundation, which supports food and beverage workers in crisis, per Hot Luck.
- Ownership: Austin Food Magazine reports Hot Luck recently joined People Inc.'s live events portfolio, with Aaron Franklin and James Moody still involved.
If you are planning food stops around it, our best restaurants in Austin guide and the bar revenue data cover the neighborhood.
FAQ
When is Hot Luck 2026? Friday, Oct. 16 and Saturday, Oct. 17, in Austin. Giddy Up is Friday 5:30 to 9 p.m. at Franklin Barbecue, and House Party is Saturday 6 to 9 p.m. at Assembly Hall, per Hot Luck.
Can I buy a ticket to just Giddy Up? No. Hot Luck's Giddy Up page says it is accessible only with the Whole Enchilada pass.
How much is a House Party ticket? Eventim lists general admission at $189 face value ($211.18 with fees) as of Oct. 10. Ages 13 to 20 and college students are $100 face value, and kids 12 and under are free.
Can kids go? The pass page lists a free Kiddo pass for ages 12 and under with an adult pass, and a $100 Youngster pass for ages 13 to 20. Beverages are 21 and up.
This desk publishes twice a day, morning and afternoon, on what is actually open, actually happening and worth the trip. If a price or time here has changed, tell us on Instagram at @austintexasthings and we will fix this page.
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