Green Egg & Kegs, a fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, is coming back to Dunwoody for a third year, and organizers have set the bar high.
More than 500 tickets have already been sold for the April 20 event, which be held in The Village, a complex located off Mount Vernon Road that includes several restaurants owned and operated by Dash Hospitality Group.
In its first year, about 800 people attended, the event followed with 2,000 party-goers in 2023. This year, David Abes of Dash is setting his eye on attracting 2,500 or more to the venue. To achieve that, Abes said, the footprint for the party will be greatly increased.
“The first year, we did a smaller tent, and the next year, we had two circus [sized] tents, and this year, we are going to have three circus tents,” he said. “We have 24 restaurants, mostly Dunwoody-based, participating.”
Aside from raising funds for JDRF, Abes said one of the main goals of the event is to shine a light on Dunwoody’s restaurant offerings.
“We want to give more exposure to Dunwoody-area restaurants, so people know what great options they have in this area,” Abes said. “All of the restaurants will be preparing their food on a Big Green Egg.”
Dash’s newest food truck concept, Yoffi, will be making its debut at the event, featuring gyros, shawarma, and other Middle East-inspired foods.
In addition, several “EGGheads,” devotees of the Big Green Egg cooking style, will join the festivities. Abes said the Big Green Egg organization is also, for the first year, making the Dunwoody festival one of its signature events.
JDRF is a charity close to Abes’ heart, as his son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was two years old.
“We’ve been involved with JDRF throughout the years in many ways, and this is one more way to give back,” he said. “We want to work towards a cure.”
The 2022 and 2023 events raised a total of $20,000 for JDRF, and Abes said he is hoping to match that number at this year’s event.
Family Truckster and Sucker Punch will again entertain the crowd, and a DJ will entertain party goers in the tents.
Along with Big Green Egg, sponsors include Discover Dunwoody, United Distributors, Eagle Rock, Georgia Crown, RNDC and Regency Centers. Tickets are $110 for the VIP experience, where guests will gain admission at noon, and $60 for general admission at 1 p.m.
Tickets to the event can be purchased through Eventbrite.