Bonham, Texas -- If you wanted to pick the very best day of the year to visit historic downtown Bonham, that day is coming up Saturday, March 29, 2025, when 1,200 ribeyes hit the grills as Fannin Agricultural Association, Inc. welcomes the community to the courthouse square for a ticketed ribeye dinner followed by a free concert.

This is what downtown Bonham looks like when 1,200 steaks hit the grills.

Bonham dates back to 1837 and you would have to believe its founders would be honored by an event that combines a good-natured, steak-cooking competition, fellowship with friends old and new, a great meal and then a free concert to top off a special night in one of the oldest towns in Texas.

After dinner the crowd settles back for an evening of Texas music, with Cory Morrow headlining this year's event.

The event is free to attend, but the ribeye dinner is ticketed. So far, 1,050 tickets have been sold, with 150 tickets available for purchase Saturday at $40 per ticket.

Cooler fees of $20 are available the day of the event. No glass.

This will be the third annual Steaks on Main event. Fannin Agricultural Association has raised $56,000 for Fannin County FFA and 4H programs over the last two years.

“The Fannin Agricultural Association expects this year’s Steaks on Main event to be another successful year," says Jaylen Wallace, President of the organization. "We feel that this event brings out the best in our community and highlights an industry that is important to Fannin County. Agriculture is the leading economic driver in Fannin County and is second only to oil and gas in the State of Texas. By investing in our youth and celebrating together, events like this make our community, county, and future stronger.”

Cooking teams will set up around the square from 7:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. and then meet at 10:00 a.m. to discuss the competition. A panel of judges will have the enviable task of rating each team's ribeye on taste, appearance, tenderness, and doneness. The first round of judging will be at 11:30 a.m. and the finalists will be asked to submit a second steak to the judges at 3:00 p.m. The awards ceremony with cash prizes will follow at 4:00 p.m.

First place will earn $2,000 and a Champion Belt Buckle, second place gets $1,500, third place is worth $750, fourth place will earn $500 and fifth place takes home $250.

Fannin Agricultural Association Board Members Cody Maxwell, Amy Lindsey and Landon Shinpaugh flank last year's winning team, BryBQ, from Whitewright, Texas.

Teams are encouraged to cook hors d’oeuvres throughout the day for the public until steaks for the community dinner are delivered to each team at 4:30 p.m. All team entrants will be required to cook steaks for the ticketed ribeye dinner at 6:30.

The ribeye dinner will consist of a ribeye steak cooked by the competition teams, served with a baked potato, salad, and trimmings. Seating will be available for all who purchase a ticket.

Then it's time for a free concert, starting with the Jared Mitchell Band at 7:00 p.m. This year's headliner, Cory Morrow, will take the stage at 8:30 p.m.