Before beer was brewed and before wine became the drink of kings, there was mead.

Crafted by fermenting honey with water and yeast, mead is considered the world's oldest alcoholic beverage, enjoyed for thousands of years by ancient civilizations, celebrated during medieval feasts and forever linked with Renaissance history and folklore. Today, mead is one of the fastest-growing craft beverage categories, as adventurous drinkers, food lovers and experience seekers rediscover its rich history, remarkable versatility and distinctly modern appeal.

That growing interest comes to North Texas for the first time from 1 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, as the Texas Mead & Music Festival, an event that has become a beloved tradition in Central Texas, makes its North Texas debut at Scarborough Faire in Waxahachie. Tickets are on sale now. A portion of proceeds benefits the Texas Mead Association, supporting education, collaboration and the continued growth of mead making across the state.

Produced by Southwest Festivals, creators of the nationally recognized Scarborough Renaissance Festival and Scarborough's Hollow Fall Fantasy Festival, the one-day celebration invites guests to sip, learn and explore while enjoying award-winning Texas meads, five stages of live music, artisan shopping, educational presentations and several of Scarborough’s Hollow's signature attractions.

"There is no better place to celebrate mead than Scarborough Faire," said Veronica Castelo, general manager of Southwest Festivals. "For decades, guests have associated our Renaissance Festival with mead, history and craftsmanship. The Texas Mead & Music Festival builds on that tradition while introducing visitors to today's incredible Texas mead makers."

A FESTIVAL WORTH THE DRIVE
Located just 30 miles south of Dallas, the Texas Mead & Music Festival is more than a tasting event. This full-day experience features handcrafted meads from 13 award-winning Texas meaderies, live music on five stages, artisan vendors, and opportunities to learn directly from meadmakers and beekeepers.

Festival highlights include:

• Sample handcrafted meads from 13 award-winning Texas meaderies
• Meet the meadmakers behind one of Texas' fastest-growing craft beverage industries
• Enjoy live performances on five stages featuring Texas Country and Red Dirt artists
• Learn directly from experienced meadmakers and beekeepers during educational presentations
• Shop artisan vendors offering handcrafted goods, specialty foods and unique gifts
• Experience several of the upcoming Scarboroughs’ Hollow 's most popular attractions, including the eerie Blackthorn Haunted Castle, the whimsical Trickster's 3D Fun House and the interactive Secrets of Rottingwood Cemetery Scavenger Hunt.

WHAT EXACTLY IS MEAD?
Made by fermenting honey with water and yeast, mead predates both beer and grape wine by thousands of years. While often referred to as "honey wine," it stands in a category all its own. Depending on the honey used and the addition of fruits, herbs, spices or botanicals, meads can range from crisp and dry to rich and sweet, still or sparkling, creating flavor profiles that appeal to wine drinkers, craft beer enthusiasts, bourbon aficionados and adventurous food lovers alike.

Behind every glass is another uniquely Texas story. From Hill Country wildflowers and East Texas forests to mesquite blooms across the plains, locally sourced honey gives Texas meads remarkable diversity and character. Much like grapes influence the flavor of wine, the floral source of honey shapes the aroma and taste of every mead.

MEET THE MAKERS BEHIND TEXAS MEAD
Among the featured meaderies are Dancing Bee Winery, built on nearly a century of Texas beekeeping heritage through Walker Honey Farm; Rohan Meadery at Blissful Folly Farm, Texas' oldest commercial meadery and a pioneer in regenerative agriculture; Breaking Brew Meadery, one of North Texas' first dedicated meaderies and home to award-winning session meads; Fox & Raven Mead, whose literary-inspired creations prove every great mead has a story to tell; and veteran-owned Texas Longhouse Meadery and Valkyrie's Kiss Mead, both recognized for award-winning meads crafted from Texas honey.
Festival guests will also discover the educational mission of Bee Immortal Mead, the creative Texas-inspired flavors of Curmudgeons Mead, the Viking-inspired craftsmanship of Bee & Brew, the collaborative expertise behind RenMead, the Norse traditions celebrated by Vinland Meads and Thorin's Mead, along with emerging producer Lonestar Meadery, each contributing to the remarkable diversity of Texas' growing mead movement.

"People are often surprised by mead," said Carlos Herrera, president of the Texas Mead Association and owner and meadmaker at Texas Longhouse Meadery in Wylie. "It's incredibly diverse, and there's truly something for every palate. The Texas Mead & Music Festival lets people explore meads from across the state, meet the makers and experience firsthand why this ancient beverage is enjoying such a remarkable revival."

LEARN FROM THE EXPERTS
Festival admission includes Mead Education presentations throughout the day in the Harvest Garden, where experienced meadmakers and beekeepers share the fascinating stories behind every glass.
Guests can discover how honey becomes mead, learn about the important role honey bees play in agriculture, trace mead's journey from ancient civilizations to today's thriving craft mead movement and, for VIP guests, learn the fundamentals of home mead making. These engaging presentations offer rare opportunities to interact directly with the experts shaping Texas' growing mead community.

FIVE STAGES OF TEXAS MUSIC
Great mead deserves a great soundtrack.

Live performances will fill five stages throughout the historic Scarborough Faire grounds, showcasing some of the best talent from the Texas Country and Red Dirt music scenes. The lineup includes fan favorite Kin Faux, acclaimed country artist Don Louis, West Texas Americana powerhouse Ronnie and The Redwoods, rising singer-songwriter Henry Merchant and veteran Texas troubadour Matt Hillyer and many others.

TICKETS
Tickets for the Texas Mead & Music Festival are available at TXMeadFest.com.

Adult General Admission (21+) | $38.50 plus tax includes one-day festival admission, six mead samples, a commemorative tasting cup, general admission parking and access to live music, Mead Education presentations, artisan vendors and festival activities.

General Admission (Ages 5-20) | $11 plus tax includes one-day festival admission. Children ages 4 and younger are admitted free.

Guests looking for an enhanced experience can purchase Adult VIP Admission (21+) | $55 plus tax, which includes one-hour early admission beginning at noon, a dedicated entrance, 12 mead samples, a commemorative tasting cup and access to Blackthorn Haunted Castle, Trickster's 3D Fun House and the Secrets of Rottingwood Cemetery Scavenger Hunt.

VIP Admission (Ages 5-20) | $22 plus tax includes early admission and access to the premium attractions. Children ages 4 and younger are admitted free.

Optional experiences include:

• Blackthorn Haunted Castle | $11 plus tax
• Trickster's 3D Fun House | $11plus tax
• Secrets of Rottingwood Cemetery Scavenger Hunt | $7.70 plus tax
• Reserved Premium Parking | $16.50 plus tax

Complete ticket information, schedules and festival details are available at TXMeadFest.com.

ABOUT THE TEXAS MEAD ASSOCIATION
The Texas Mead Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting, promoting and advancing the craft mead industry across Texas through education, collaboration and advocacy. Representing commercial meaderies, beekeepers, industry partners and enthusiasts, the association works to increase awareness of mead while encouraging responsible growth of one of the state's fastest-growing craft beverage categories.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST FESTIVALS
Southwest Festivals produces immersive events celebrating history, creativity and community, including the nationally recognized Scarborough Renaissance Festival, Scarborough's Hollow Fall Fantasy Festival and the Texas Mead & Music Festival. Hosted at Scarborough Faire in Waxahachie, Southwest Festivals' events feature live entertainment, artisan marketplaces, interactive experiences, themed attractions, and exceptional food and beverage experiences.

Scarborough Renaissance Festival and Scarborough's Hollow Fall Fantasy Festival were recognized in the 21st Annual Renaissance Festival Awards, earning fan-voted honors as Favorite Renaissance Festival (Southeast) and Favorite Faery/Fantasy Festival, respectively.