Larry Joe Taylor's Texas Music Festival

LJT Fest is a six-day songwriter music festival and chili cook-off held each April at Melody Mountain Ranch outside Stephenville, Texas. Larry Joe Taylor started it as a place for himself and his friends to play their own music, and the 38th annual edition runs April 19 to 24, 2027. More than 50 acts from the Texas and Red Dirt scene play four stages, with performances from 10am and campfire jams that carry on through the night. On-site camping is central to the experience, and the chili cook-off benefits the Huckabay Volunteer Fire Department.

Gates open at noon from Sunday to Tuesday and at 10am from Wednesday to Saturday, closing between 8pm and 11pm. Multi-day tickets run from a six-day pass down to single-day passes, which are limited, sold in advance and cover the parking lot and stage areas only, not the campground. A government ID is required, children 10 and under are free, and coolers up to 30 inches high and 32 ounce reusable bottles are allowed, but not glass, drones or pets in stage areas. It runs rain or shine.

It is an all-ages event, but the focus is on adults who want a week of Texas and Red Dirt songwriters, camping and campfire picking, with alcohol allowed for those over 21. It suits groups and families who want to camp on site, longtime Texas music fans and chili cooks. Light packers or anyone who prefers a hotel should plan for the long days and the ranch terrain.

Attendees and press writers point to the camaraderie of the campground, with guitar pickings around campfires and artists mingling with fans, as what brings many back each year. One longtime visitor writes that every artist matters, from legends to first-timers, that performers are easy to approach, and that the weekend feels like family. The chili cook-off is a recurring part of the fond memories fans describe.