Southern Smoke 2017 tickets go on sale Aug. 7

Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue in Austin serves up brisket at his booth during Southern Smoke 2016, a fundraiser for the National MS Society. Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue in Austin serves up brisket at his booth during Southern Smoke 2016, a fundraiser for the National MS Society. Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 38 Caption Close Southern Smoke 2017 tickets go on sale Aug. 7 1 / 38 Back to Gallery

Barbecue fans set your reminder for noon on Monday, Aug. 7. That's when tickets go on sale for Southern Smoke 2017, the smoked meat blowout that brings some of the country's most prestigious barbecue talent to Houston on Oct. 22.

Underbelly chef Chris Shepherd, who created the street party as a fundraiser for the MS Society, will again bring Southern chefs – all boldface names – to the table in the hopes of raising $300,000 at the third annual event. Shepherd created Southern Smoke to honor his friend and former sommelier Antonio Gianola, diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2014. To date, Southern Smoke has raised $464,000 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

There are some changes to this year's event which will give barbecue fans even greater access to the participating chefs and their food. General admission tickets are $200 for the event which runs from 4 to 8 p.m., and VIP tickets at $350 allow early access from 3 to 4 p.m. and include a gift bag with participating chefs' cookbooks. This year there's also a Lexus Super VIP ticket, $1,000, for only 20 guests that includes a Houston culinary tour with the chefs the Friday before the festival in a caravan of Lexus SUVs.

As in past years, the Southern Smoke "campus" will include Underbelly, the Hay Merchant and Blacksmith, 1018 and 1100 Westheimer. Since Underbelly and the Hay Merchant will have full liquor licenses by the time of Southern Smoke, Knob Creek will be serving bourbon and whiskey cocktails. Blacksmith and the Hay Merchant will serve as lounges for VIP ticket holders where premium wines will be served as well as Knob Creek drinks. Here is a link to a map that shows the layout of Southern Smoke.

This year's chefs (who will all cook using smokers or live fire) will include returning favorite Aaron Franklin, the James Beard Award-winning pitmaster of Franklin Barbecue in Austin; returning barbecue legend Rodney Scott, pitmaster for Scott's Barbecue in Hemingway, SC, and Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ in Charleston, SC; Mike Lata, the James Beard Award-winning chef/partner of FIG in Charleston, SC; James Beard Award-winning chef Jason Stanhope of FIG; returning superchef Ashley Christensen, the James Beard Award-winning owner of Poole's Diner and numerous other restaurants in Raleigh, NC; and one of New Orleans' greatest and most beloved culinary ambassadors, John Besh, the James Beard Award-winning owner of August and other top restaurants in the Crescent City.

They will be cooking along with members of the HOUBBQ Collective, involved since the first Southern Smoke two years ago, that includes chefs Ryan Pera of Coltivare, Seth Siegel Gardner and Terrence Gallivan of the Pass & Provisions, James Beard Award-winning chef Justin Yu, and Shepherd.

Last year's Southern Smoke, which attracted 1,200 people, was a sold out event.