Galveston welcomes the 12th annual OkraFest this Saturday, kicking off gala season with an intergalactic twist. Amid farm-to-table delicacies and live music, the much-loved tall ship Elissa also returns home to historic Galveston waters.

Growing up amid the nation’s forests with a wildlife biologist father, Chef Cassidee Dabney developed a deep appreciation for nature’s freshest offerings. Now, as executive chef at The Barn at Blackberry Farm in Tennessee, she brings that passion to the table, crafting menus with produce grown right on the restaurant grounds.