Daily Light's 5 things to do this weekend: June 14-16
1. A premiere steak cookoff and Texfest will take place at Blaine Stone Lodge, located in Midlothian. The catering and events center partnered with Wagyu Excelente, one of the finest Texas Wagyu beef, to create an exceptional dining event paired with specialty beers, wines and liquors.
This family-friendly event will feature a classic car and truck show, local and regional culinary delights, as well as several fun activities for adults and children. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Chris Kyle Frog foundation.
General Admission tickets (ages 15+) are $59. Ticket includes full-day access to all events as well as the chefs, access to side buffet, two (2) drink tickets, and one (1) voting voucher.
Child Admission tickets (ages 6-14) are $39. Ticket includes full-day access to all events as well as chefs and access to side buffet. Children ages 5 and under are free.
The event will take place on Saturday from 12 — 9 p.m. The venue is located at 5331 Weatherford Rd. in Midlothian.
2. It's that time of year for Junk in the Trunk! This event will take place in downtown Waxahachie at the southeast corner of the square at Franklin and South College Streets. The sale will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday and will end at 1 p.m. Weather is predicted to be partly cloudy with the high in the low 90s. Admission to shop at the event is free to the public.
3. Celebrate dad on Saturday with a Father's Day beer stroll in downtown Waxahachie. Ten boutiques will feature beer and provide exclusive deals to strollers. Tickets are $10 and can only be purchased the day of the event at the Ellis County Museum. Participants must have a valid ID to participate. Only cash will be accepted as payment for tickets.
4. Saturday, June 15 the Ells County Master Gardeners bring their Pop-Up-Horticulture program to the Waxahachie Downtown Farmers Market. Mattie Thompson and her team will present "Gardening in Small Spaces". Visitors will gain knowledge on container gardening in Texas, what works on a balcony or patio, or what plants will survive on the pavement, in full sun around the pool. Grow a garden in a variety of containers, from buckets, pots and grow-bags. Come observe and learn or bring your own favorite pot and potting mix while learning to grow flowers, vegetables and herbs successfully. There will be plants available to purchase or bring your own. Look for the white pop-up tent next to the Ellis County Master Gardener booth.
5. Matt Pittman and the fellas at Meat Church are hosting the official grand opening celebration of their flagship store in downtown Waxahachie on Saturday. The celebration is big enough that the City of Waxahachie has decided to shut down the portion of College Street in front of the barbeque headquarters.
The celebration begins at 11 a.m. with a ceremonial ribbon cutting hosted by the Waxahachie Chamber of Commerce. the Meat Church crew will then begin distributing BBQ samples at 11:30 a.m. and continue until the meat runs out.
Pittman and crew will host a brisket cooking demo at noon and a pork belly demo at 2 p.m.
There will also be beer samplings, a raffle, bounce house and free tea at The Vault Smokehouse (just mention "Meat Church").
For those who haven't kept up, Pittman's meat legacy began on Easter weekend over five years ago when he and his pit crew first debuted on the TLC reality TV show, "BBQ Pitmasters."
Meat Church first launched in April 2014 as an online store, which at the time was only stocked with a few seasonings, two styles of hats and two shirts.
Five years later, the business has grown to sell to over 80 different styles shirts and hats, BBQ kits and rubs sold both online and in its new storefront, which first opened to the public two weeks ago.