Get ready to enjoy five events and 50+ renowned chefs over four days, headlined by FOOD+Fire: The Great Southern Tailgate on Saturday – Use promo code ‘INBirmingham’ for discounted tickets!
(Birmingham, Ala.) Oct. 6, 2023 — The Birmingham FOOD+Culture Festival kicks off Thursday, October 12 and runs until Sunday, October 15, 2023, at venues around the city, primarily Pepper Place and Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark, and will feature five signature events over four days, including more than ten dinners, an amplified farmers’ market experience, and over 50 featured chefs, mixologists, brewers, pitmasters and more.
Launched with a “reveal” party in October 2022, the inaugural FOOD+Culture Fest will bring together food lovers, chefs, farmers, food makers, artisans, and storytellers from all walks of life – from Birmingham and beyond – to share the unique flavors and cultural vibrancy of the community. The mission of FOOD+Culture Fest is to celebrate Birmingham’s dynamic culinary landscape with events that highlight the epicurean accomplishments of our city.
The cornerstone event of the weekend, FOOD+Fire: The Great Southern Tailgate, presented by Southern Living, will feature pitmasters and chefs from restaurants known for their barbecue and/or live-fire cooking. Restaurants participating in FOOD+Fire include: Acre, Saw’s BBQ, Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q, Ovenbird, Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint, Archibald and Woodrow’s BBQ, Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, Buxton Hall Barbecue, Hero Doughnuts & Buns, Gus’s Hot Dogs and many more.
Use promo code ‘INBirmingham‘ for 20% off your FOOD+Fire ticket purchase here!
“Birmingham deserves a world class food festival, and we’re thrilled to be a part of this one,” said Sid Evans, Editor-in-Chief of Southern Living, which is headquartered in Birmingham. “We’re also excited to celebrate two things our hometown is known for– tailgate culture and live-fire cooking, both of which are core to the Southern Living brand.”
Event highlights for the 2023 festival include:
- FOOD+Flair: Changing the Menu (Thursday, Oct. 12): a seated luncheon celebrating an all-star lineup of women chefs; $85
- FOOD+Frank (Thursday, Oct. 12): the presentation of the inaugural Frank Stitt Award for Industry Excellence, this year to the iconic Chef himself, and honoring other recipients in future years; $75
- FOOD+Heritage (Friday, Oct. 13): a seated dinner in the streets of Pepper Place, celebrating Black culture, cuisine and the influence the community has had on Alabama’s foodways, with guest chefs and presenters from around the Southeast; $150
- FOOD+Farmers (Saturday, Oct. 14): an amplified farmer’s market at Pepper Place, including a book fair featuring cookbook authors and food-focused reads; unticketed and FREE to the public
- FOOD+Fire: The Great Southern Tailgate (Saturday, Oct. 14): presented by Southern Living; a walk-around tasting event at Sloss Furnaces celebrating the barbecue community, live-fire cooking, and Southern tailgate culture. Highlights include live music, a Southern Living demo stage, regional and local breweries and giant screens to watch live football; $75 (Use promo code ‘INBirmingham’ for 20% off your ticket purchase!)
- FOOD+Funk Brunch (Sunday, Oct. 15): biscuits, brass and bloodies, featuring pastry chefs, bakers, mixologists and New Orlean’s Grammy-Award winning Rebirth Brass Band; $75
- FOOD+Friends (October 12-15): public dinners around Birmingham, featuring surprise pop-up menus from visiting guest chefs in participating restaurants, celebrating comradery in the culinary industry; unticketed
While all of the signature events feature “FOOD+” in the title, food isn’t the only thing the festival’s bringing in October. FOOD+Fire will feature musical guests like Arlo McKinley, a talented singer-songwriter who was discovered by and signed to John Prine’s Indie Record Label; The Sensational Barnes Brothers, a Memphis based gospel + soul band; New Orleans’ own J and The Causeways, an amazing R&B/soul ensemble featuring heavy backbeats and a soaring horn section. On Sunday at FOOD+Funk, the grammy-winning Rebirth Brass Band will bring the funk at the Sloss Furnaces Water Tower.
“Along with the amazing curated culinary elements of the festival, we found it important to recognize that music is a bridge that connects all cultures,” said Keri Lane, FOOD+Culture Festival Production Director. “We’re excited to create an event that not only celebrates our city’s culinary talent but also offers programming and live music for everyone to enjoy at some of Birmingham’s most unique, incredible venues.”
More information can be found and tickets for the events can be purchased at www.bhamfoodplus.com.
Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitor’s Bureau partnered with Bham Now for an exclusive giveaway opportunity for the big event on Saturday! Head to Bham Now’s Instagram to enter the giveaway for a pair of tickets plus a pair of VIP passes to FOOD+Fire: The Great Southern Tailgate!