Home Away From Home
Texas music and BBQ fest offers country-lovers an escape during ACL
Feels Like Home Festival is now in its second year.
Austinites who are inclined to flee the Austin City Limits Music Festival crowds but feel a bit of FOMO about the music have a pre-planned escape available in the Feels Like Home Festival. This more rustic festival is about two and a half hours northwest of Austin, in Brownwood, and combines popular regional country music and local barbecue on Saturday, October 4.
This festival is a new effort, having only launched in 2024; making it an extra-bold strategy to schedule it during ACL Fest, which this year runs from October 3-5 and 10-12.
Despite the remote location, this festival has pulled some recognizable names for many Texans: Pat Green, Josh Abbott Band, Stoney LaRue, Bottomland, the Central Texas-based Graham St. Clair Band, and Joe Peters. There will also be a Local Spotlight Stage, featuring smaller acts from Central Texas. They include Mason & The Mercenaries, Brian Pounds, Ripken, and The Cadillac Thieves.
On the barbecue side, there will be 10 participating pitmasters, and attendees can try bites by all of them. The festival website provides short descriptions for each, as seen below. They're especially useful for showing which participants made it onto Texas Monthly's prestigious best barbecue list.
- Up In Smoke BBQ (Early, TX) – Local hero Junior Urias bringing bold hometown flavor just minutes from the fest.
- Victorians Barbecue (Mart, TX) – Netflix Barbecue Showdown alum Joey Victorian’s cult-favorite Central Texas BBQ.
- Rossler’s Blue Cord Barbecue (Harker Heights, TX) – Army veteran Steven Rossler’s 2025 Texas Monthly Top 50 joint, known for standout brisket and creative sides.
- Hurtado BBQ (Arlington, TX) – Tex-Mex flavors meet Texas smoke, earning Honorable Mention in Texas Monthly’s Top 50.
- Hill City Chop House (Tolar, TX) – A bustling small-town smokehouse and Honorable Mention in Texas Monthly’s Top 50.
- The Original Roy Hutchins Barbecue (Trophy Club, TX) – A family-run legacy spot and 2025 Yelp Top 100 honoree.
- Pody’s BBQ (Pecos, TX) – West Texas legend Israel “Pody” with brisket and ribs once ranked among Texas Monthly’s Top 50.
- Brantley Creek Barbecue (Odessa, TX) – Brandon McPherson’s fast-rising pit, named an Honorable Mention in the 2025 Texas Monthly Top 50.
- Bosque River Taphouse (Stephenville, TX) – pairing craft beer with inventive BBQ plates.
- Olmos BBQ (Fort Worth, TX) – John Paul Govea’s pit blends tradition with modern flair.
After all that barbecue and music, attendees still have a whole day to get back to Austin before the weekend is over. To give them some ideas while they're still in town, the festival also links to this visitor's guide that shares tips on restaurants, parks, cultural and historical attractions, shopping, places to stay, and more to do and see in Brownwood.
Tickets to the Feels Like Home Festival (starting at $64 for just music, and $91 for music and barbecue) are available at feelslikehomefest.com.
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