People at the Stagecoach Country Music Festival know what they like, smoked meat, and Adrian Garcia plans to deliver it this weekend in Indio.
“No matter where you’re at, I’ve got barbecue everywhere,” said Garcia, culinary director and food and beverage director at Goldenvoice Festivals, which puts on the show.
It will take place Friday, April 25 through Sunday, April 27 at the Empire Polo Club with headliners Luke Combs, Jelly Roll and Zach Bryan.
All three days are sold out.
Since it was founded in 2007, Stagecoach has been about what Garcia called “tons of barbecue,” but in a phone interview he said vendors always want to take it to the next level.
“Now the palate has switched from barbecue to more high-end offerings as well,” he added.
Among them is Le Burger by Camphor, a Michelin-starred pop-up in the VIP area at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival that is sticking around for a third weekend at the polo grounds.
He called Camphor “a fast casual dining concept, not something where you’re waited on. But you walk up, it looks a little bit sexy. You can order your food. You can hang out in the space for a little bit. Or you can take your burger and take a walk, find somewhere else to have a picnic with your friends.”
“They’re stepping it up for the Stagecoach patrons, coming in with steak frites, a little bit of a more elevated barbecue offering.”
Celebrity chef Guy Fieri, who has been part of the festival since 2018, will be doing cooking demos with pitmasters and headliners such as Jelly Roll at his own venue, Guy Fieri’s Stagecoach Smokehouse.
“Guy’s team is awesome, always having so much fun and pushing the limits from what they’ve done the year before, Garcia said. “Got some surprises in store for what we’re cooking up and what we’re giving away to the patrons at Guy’s Smokehouse.”
A VIP saloon will have a “Taste of Guy’s Smokehouse,” but the demos will be general admission, according to Garcia.
“Everybody’s going to have access to the demos. If you’re on the rail, you’re going to see Guy, you’re possibly going to interact with Guy. You’re probably going to try something that Guy literally has just made. And that’s for everybody.”
As at Coachella, there will be speakeasies that Garcia wants festivalgoers to find for themselves.
Returning favorites will include Porky’s By Chef Aaron May, Big Lee’s BBQ by Rashad Jones, Murph’s Shack by Marc Murphy, Prince Street Pizza, Tacos 1986 and Kogi, the taco truck founded by celebrity chef Roy Choi.
“Always love having Roy Choi and team here and I feel like a lot of patrons who travel in from out of state haven’t had the chance to try things like Kogi but have seen them on Instagram.”
Despite all the barbecue, Garcia hasn’t forgotten vegans. Forever Pie and Monty’s Good Burger will be among the returning vendors.
Information: stagecoachfestival.com
Originally Published: April 23, 2025 at 9:43 AM PDT
