Great news for Birmingham foodies! Earlier this week, the Birmingham FOOD+Culture Festival announced that it’d be returning to The Magic City this fall, September 19-22. Read on to learn more about the event.

3rd best new festival in the U.S.

Designed to showcase Birmingham’s vibrant culinary scene, the inaugural Birmingham FOOD+Culture Festival was so successful it was named the 3rd best new festival in 2023 in the country by USA Today.

The nationally recognized Festival welcomed visitors travelers from 18 states, including Maine, Washington, New York and California.

“The Birmingham FOOD+Culture Festival is proud to continue showcasing the diverse culinary traditions and talent that make Birmingham such a unique and vibrant destination. We are thrilled to once again welcome food enthusiasts from near and far to join us for another unforgettable celebration of Birmingham’s culinary community.”
Cathy Sloss Jones, FOOD+ Board President and CEO/President Sloss Real Estate

The 2024 Birmingham FOOD+Culture Festival lineup

The primary venues are Pepper Place and Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark.

Here is a glimpse of the big events during the week:

● FOOD+Frank: The Frank Stitt Award for Industry Excellence (Thursday, Sept. 19, 5:30-8:00 p.m. at Birmingham Museum of Art): A cocktail reception honoring an industry leader and paying tribute to the 2024 honoree’s innovation and impact on the culinary industry

● FOOD+Heritage (Friday, Sept. 20, 6:00-10:00 p.m. at Pepper Place on 29th St. S.): Experience the vibrant flavors of Birmingham’s Greek community with a multi-course, seated dinner under the stars celebrating Greek flavors and traditions—Opa!

● FOOD+Market Mix (Saturday, Sept. 21, 7:00 a.m.-noon at The Market at Pepper Place): Join FOOD+Culture Festival for a morning market mix of your favorite farmers, female chefs, storytellers and authors at one of America’s oldest farmers markets.

● Southern Living’s FOOD+Fire (Saturday, Sept. 21, noon-5:00 p.m. at Sloss Furnaces): a walk- around tasting event celebrating barbeque, live-fire cooking and Southern tailgate culture

● FOOD+Funk: Grits and Grooves (Sunday, Sept. 22, 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at Sloss Furnaces): a Sunday fun-day brunch where you can get your groove on to the Grammy award-winning Dirty Dozen Brass Band while savoring creative brunch dishes highlighting the essence of Southern hospitality as well as Alabama’s timeless love affair with grits

● FOOD+Friends Dinner Series (September 13-21): public dinners around Birmingham, featuring surprise pop-up menus from visiting guest chefs in participating restaurants, celebrating comradery in the culinary industry