Major Texas event
World Champion Hopkins County Stew Contest
October 24, 2026 · Sulphur Springs, Texas · Hopkins County
The Hopkins County Chamber states that the contest is held on the fourth Saturday in October. Applying that published recurrence to 2026 yields October 24; recheck the Chamber's current-year contest page before traveling.
Why plan around World Champion Hopkins County Stew Contest?
The World Champion Hopkins County Stew Contest is a distinctive East Texas food tradition in which more than a hundred teams cook chicken or beef stew over wood fires and feed thousands of visitors in Sulphur Springs.
Verified event details
Organizer: Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce ↗
Official-source details checked 2026-09-03. Ticket prices and lineups can change; confirm the linked official source before purchasing or traveling.
Plan the visit
Use the fourth-Saturday recurrence as the planning date
The Hopkins County Chamber says the contest is held on the fourth Saturday in October. In 2026 that date is October 24. Texas Defined labels the date as recurrence-derived until the Chamber posts any year-specific operational changes.
Arrive before the tasting rush
The Chamber says teams begin early so judging samples are ready by midmorning and spectators then move among the camps. Plan an early arrival if tasting broadly is the priority rather than waiting until late afternoon.
Build Sulphur Springs into the trip
The stew contest is one of Hopkins County's signature annual events. Pair it with downtown Sulphur Springs and other county stops rather than treating Buford Park as the only destination.
Keep exploring
- Explore Hopkins County — Build more Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County stops around the contest.
- Texas food and BBQ — Continue into Texas Defined's statewide food coverage.
- Texas events calendar — Compare other Texas food festivals and cook-offs.