_This year marked the tenth anniversary of Willie Nelson’s Potluck Dinner, a gathering on the eve of his Luck Reunion. The Nelson family hosts both the dinner and the Reunion, a capacity-limited music festival, on their property in Spicewood, Texas. The ranch, which served as the set for Red Headed Stranger, is about twenty miles outside of Austin, but felt a world away last week as the events in Luck coincided with SXSW, which draws more than 300,000 people annually to the Live Music Capital of the World.

_Since its inception, the Potluck Dinner has raised nearly three million dollars, with the funds this year supporting Farm Aid (via the Luck Family Foundation) and the Texas Food and Wine Alliance. Grants have supported local and regional farmers and food workers ranging across a variety of needs, such as providing nixtamalization machines for corn masa tortillas, funding new irrigation systems, and purchasing threshing mowers. The Luck Ranch itself is a regenerative food farm and horse sanctuary in addition to being the Nelson family home.

_Potluck’s theme was East Meets West, with chefs from around the country coming together to create a menu of fusion dishes that sourced foods grown from local farms.

Chef Erik Bruner-Yang says that this is becoming more common with produce typically associated with Asian food. “Local Asian grocery stores in most cities now are getting kind of the specialty produce grown mostly from that region, from small, specialized family farms, like the ones doing the water spinach. But you don’t really ever notice or realize unless you’re looking at the packaging. You’ll be like, ‘oh, these bean sprouts are actually, like, from a town down the street.’”

The sit-down dinner was fine dining meets family-style. The table arrangements, plating of dishes, and quality of service rivaled a Michelin-starred restaurant. Each course was served in the center of groups of six diners, encouraging camaraderie through the passing of plates and refills of homemade sangria from a pitcher. Guests were encouraged to put away their phones and get to know the folks around them.

_The concept of the gathering is rooted in engaging in conversations and sharing stories. The evening’s menu featured a welcome statement contextualizing the fare, which aimed to “spotlight the essential role of immigration in shaping Texas’s foodways and the positive social and economic impacts of these cross-cultural exchanges.”

“It’s an invitation for guests to experience a culinary journey that not only delights the palate but also honors the powerful story of immigration and cultural integration in the U.S.”

Chefs Peter Cho, Cheetie Kumar, Edward Lee, and Bruner-Yang collaborated on the East meets West menu, which opened with banchan, an eclectic mix of starters, and featured courses of spice battered fish, gochujang pork ribs, and Cambodian grilled steak.

_A highlight of the evening came with dessert, a grilled rice cake with froyo and misugaru crumble. At the edge of the tent, Mercado Sin Nombre served up fresh horchata cold brew, their version of the Mexican rice-based drink.

The East Austin business received support from Farm Aid, which celebrates its fortieth anniversary this year. Mercado Sin Nombre sources sustainable food with a focus on Mexican specialty coffees and heirloom corn. The mercado celebrates the long Tejano traditions of East Austin.

Scott Marsh, COO of Luck Presents, joined the Luck team fourteen years ago and has helped grow the Potluck Dinner since its inception. “It's really, really easy to put time and effort in there,” Marsh said. “Ten years into this we’re seeing true dividends in how we’re able to impact farms. There’s a big difference when you’re giving someone a grant and they really need it. It’s people crying and thanking you and talking about how much this helps.”

As promised, the evening concluded with a concert under the stars. Daniel Lanois played a solo set before joining Willie Nelson & Family. What felt like a family affair from the start was punctuated by Willie trading vocals and guitar solos with sons Lukas and Micah. The band has taken to playing seated, which, like the dinner, added to the intimacy. A backyard concert with 300 of your closest friends.