‘Cheesy’ fundraiser return

The third annual Magic City Mac N’ Cheese Festival will return to Brookwood Village with local teams’ inventive takes on the classic dish.

The festival is a fundraiser for Community Grief Support, which offers programs for people experiencing different kinds of loss. The idea of making a food festival based around mac n’ cheese came from the dish’s role as a classic comfort food.

The Mac N’ Cheese Festival will let attendees sample creations from vendors such as Eat the Batter by Phylicia, Eugene’s Hot Chicken, Fried Green Tomatoes, Katie’s Plates, Little Savannah, Panera, Panoptic Catering, The Southern, Fetch and others. There will also be live music, a cash bar, children’s activities like face painting and a visit from the Greater Birmingham Humane Society, as the event is pet-friendly.

A celebrity tasting panel will help judge the top dishes. Organizers are expecting around 5,000 people to attend.

The Mac N’ Cheese Festival will be Sunday, Oct. 6, from 1-4 p.m. Tickets are $15 early or $20 the day of the event. Children’s tickets are $5 for ages 6-12, and kids 5 and younger are free.

Visit macfestbhm.com for more information or to purchase tickets.