WATERLOO — Netflix’s ‘Barbecue Showdown” champ Thyron Mathews of Oelwein will join other Iowa chefs, artisans and food producers for the second annual Iowa Eats on April 6.
The one-day celebration of all-Iowa food and drink products, chefs, artisans and agriculture-related items takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Waterloo Convention Center, 200 W. Fourth St.
Proceeds from the event benefit the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area.
“Last year’s event drew about 1,200 people to downtown Waterloo from more than 40 surrounding communities. It far exceeded our expectations,” said Jori Wade-Booth, communications and marketing director for Silos & Smokestacks.
There will be guest speakers, food and drink demonstrations and live music throughout the day. More than 50 vendors will be offering samples and selling products representing dairy farms, meat lockers, restaurants, catering businesses, specialty food products and more.
People are also reading…
New this year is the Jim Walsh Firefighter Cookoff begins at 11 a.m., with awards presented at 1 p.m. JSA Development is sponsoring the event in honor of its founder, who died in October 2023. Four Waterloo firefighters have already signed up for the competition.
“It was Jim’s idea to have a firefighter cookoff, so we wanted to do it this year in his honor,” said Wade-Booth. Registration is still open for Waterloo firefighters to compete.
Featured main stage presenters are JayJay Goodvin, “Eating Your Way Through the Heritage Area,” 11:20 a.m.; Taufeek Shah, “Hometown Hot Sauce,” noon; The Bares, “Craft Whiskey: 2 Engineers Redefining Fields,” 1 p.m.; Thyron Mathews, “Barbecue Showdown,” at 2:30 p.m.; Chef Jessica Baldus, “Stories from a Game Show Host,” at 3:20 p.m.; and Chef George Formaro, “Secrets to a Successful Restaurant,” at 4:30 p.m.
Better known as the Iowa Gallivant, Goodvin is an Iowa-based food and travel blogger. Born in Marshalltown, he grew up in Grundy Center, Marion and Iowa City. An 11-year culinary crusade led him to Arizona, Montana, Cape Cod, the Florida Keys, the Black Hills of South Dakota, Austin, Texas, central Illinois, and back to Iowa City. His love of traveling, food and family drives his passions.
Shah is founder and CEO of Lola’s Fine Hot Sauce, now available in over 14,000 retailers and restaurants across North America, the Philippines and the Virgin Islands. The all-natural product line also includes gourmet salsas, drink mixers and more. Shaw was recipient of the 2023 Iowa Small Business Minority Champion of the Year.
Iowa natives Ryan and Amanda Bare, both mechanical engineering graduates from Iowa State University in Ames, moved to Texas after graduation. Fifteen years later, they returned to Iowa. They founded Century Farms Distillery in Spencer and began making craft whiskey using locally-sourced corn and grains.
Oelwein’s Mathews, founder of T&T BBQ and a pit master, brought the southern flavor to Northeast Iowa. He is season two winner of Netflix’s “Barbecue Showdown” and specializes in the “total barbecue experience.”
Chef Baldus is owner and operator of Taste, Piggyback Smoke Shack and the Bakery in Osage. She has competed on Food Network’s “Guy’s Grocery Games” and “Supermarket Stakeout.”
Formaro is the accomplished restaurateur behind such Des Moines eateries as “Zombie Burger + Drink Lab, Centro, Django, Mao and Gateway Market & Café. He is also founder of the first artisan bakery in Iowa, South Union Bakery, which opened in 1996.
A variety of demonstrations are planned. In The Kitchen, demonstrations include 11 a.m. “Pasta Making,” Pasta on the Prairie from Marion; 11:40 a.m. “Cooking with Stainless Steel,” The Brick Kitchen Store from Independence; noon, “Fry Bread,” Kassi Lasso Whitebreast; 1 p.m., Lola’s Hot Sauce Showcase, Taufeek Shah; 1:40 p.m. “Renegade Kombucha,” Sarah Umderberg; 2:20 p.m., “Baking with Lard,” DonnaLonna Kitchen, podcasters; 3:40 p.m., “Mix It Up Dessert Mixology; and 4:20 p.m., “To Gluten or Not to Gluten Sourdough Starter,” featuring Charlene Wyatt Sauer.
In the Meatlocker, demonstrations begin at 11:20 a.m. with Montage; noon, “One Chicken 5 Meals,” Beth Hoffman and John Hogeland, and at 1:30 p.m., “Sausage Making”; 2:40 p.m., “One Pork Loin, 3 Meals,” Val Plagge; and 3 p.m. Thyron Mathews, Netflix “Barbecue Showdown Winner Showcase.”
The Bar’s demonstrations begin at 11:40 a.m. with “3 Cocktails All Good Hosts Can Make” featuring Deanna Rustad; 1 p.m., “Wine 101,” Sommelier Dana Swasand; 1:40 p.m. “The Brown Bottle Special,” Clayton Streed; 2:15 p.m. Century Farms Distillery; 3 p.m. “Happy Together: Pairing Liquors and Meats,” Ari’z Martini Bar; and 3 p.m. “Wine Down with Quan” podcast, DaQuan Campbell.
Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area tells the story of farm life and agribusiness, both past and present. Visitors can learn about and experience agriculture at museums, historic sites and farms. The heritage area covers 37 counties in the northeast quadrant of Iowa. One of 55 federally designated heritage areas in the nation, Silos & Smokestacks works in partnership with the National Park Service.
“We always say there is agriculture for everyone. People want to know where their food comes from. We get caught up in the idea that Iowa is about big farms and big corn, seed corn and pork, but we need large farms and small farms, large producers and small producers. We need to support all of Iowa’s producers,” said Wade-Booth.
“It’s also important to recognize our heritage area in Northeast Iowa where so many innovations have been made affecting agriculture around the world.”
For a complete list of food and drink vendors, visit www.iowaeatsfestival.com.
Tickets are $10 per person; children 5 and under are free. All children 13 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Proof of age and a valid ID are required for sampling or purchasing alcoholic beverages. Tickets can be purchased online at https://iowaeatsfestival.com/, at Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Waverly Hy-Vee stores, and at the door (cash or card/no checks).