Reviewed by: Patience Itson
Inaugural Birmingham FOOD+Culture Festival begins Thursday, October 12—event schedule, tickets + more
Reading time: 3 minutes
The Birmingham FOOD+Culture Festival’s mission is to bring together food lovers, chefs and artisans to enjoy the cultural vibrancy of Birmingham’s culinary landscape. Beginning Thursday, October 12, the event kicks off with four days of dinners, music, markets and much more.
Read on for the schedule and how to get tickets.
About the 2023 FOOD+Culture Festival in Birmingham
From October 12-15, food events will take place at venues around the city, primarily Pepper Place and Sloss Furnaces. The cornerstone event of the festival is FOOD+Fire, presented by Southern Living, featuring pitmasters and chefs known for their tasty barbecue.
Some restaurants participating include:
- Acre
- Big Bob Gibson’s Bar-B-Q
- Hero Doughnuts & Buns
- Gus’s Hot Dogs
- Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint
- Ovenbird
- Saw’s BBQ
“Birmingham deserves a world class food festival, and we’re thrilled to be a part of this one. 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.”
Sid Evans, Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living (headquartered in Birmingham)
The Birmingham FOOD+Culture Festival event schedule
- Thursday, October 12- FOOD+Flair: Changing the Menu
- A seated luncheon celebrating an all-star lineup of women chefs. ($85)
- Thursday, October 12- FOOD+Frank
- Presenting the inaugural Frank Stitt Award for Industry Excellence. ($75)
- Friday, October 13- FOOD+Heritage
- A seated dinner in the streets of Pepper Place celebrating Black culture, cuisine and influence the community has had on Alabama’s food. ($150)
- Saturday, October 14- FOOD+Farmers
- An amplified farmers market at Pepper Place, including a book fair highlighting cookbook authors. (FREE)
- Saturday, October 14– FOOD+Fire: The Great Southern Tailgate
- A walk-through tasting event at Sloss Furnaces celebrating barbecue and Southern tailgate culture, with live music, tons of food from local BBQ spots and of course, football. Musical guests include singer-songwriter Arlo McKinley, Memphis-based soul band The Sensational Barnes Brothers and New Orleans’ own J and The Causeways. ($75)
- Sunday, October 15- FOOD+Funk Brunch
- What’s better than jazz, bloody Marys and all the biscuits you can eat? This event will feature pastry chefs, mixologists and Grammy Award-winning Rebirth Brass Band from New Orleans. ($75)
- October 12-15- FOOD+Friends
- Public dinners around Birmingham, including surprise pop-up menus from guest chefs at Birmingham’s most beloved restaurants. Events are either non-ticketed or require reservations, depending on the restaurant. See more
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