Birmingham Has A Can’t-Miss Southern Food Festival

The Birmingham Food+Culture Festival celebrates one of the South’s great food scenes.

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Published on July 10, 2024

Birmingham, Alabama, has long had one of the most dynamic food scenes in the South, so it makes sense that the city finally has a festival to celebrate that legacy. The Birmingham Food+Culture Festival, which launched in October 2023, is a four-day event that brings together the chefs, pitmasters, makers, farmers, mixologists, and storytellers who have put Birmingham on the culinary map. Nominated by USA Today as one of the ten best new festivals of the year, the Birmingham Food+Culture Festival returns September 19-22 with a lineup that will make it one of the can’t-miss events on the Southern calendar.

When Is The Birmingham Food+Culture Festival?

September 19 to 22

Food+Frank

Thursday, September 19

The weekend kicks off with a cocktail reception at the Birmingham Museum of Art, where James-Beard-Award-winner and local legend Chef Frank Stitt (Bottega, Chez Fon Fon) will present the Frank Stitt Award for Industry Excellence to a culinary leader and innovator. Expect a long list of Southern food luminaries in attendance.

Food+Heritage

Friday, September 20

Pepper Place. The strength of the Birmingham food scene lies in its extraordinary diversity and rich culinary heritage. This year the event will recognize and celebrate the Greek community, which has made immense contributions to the city’s restaurant culture, with a multi-course seated dinner.

Food+Market Mix

Saturday, September 21

The Market at Pepper Place is one of the most dynamic farmers’ markets in the country. Come early to meet farmers, shop for veggies and artisan goods, and hear from Southern storytellers.

Food+Fire

Saturday, September 21

Sloss Furnaces. Birmingham is a barbecue town, and the signature event of the weekend will be a celebration of the region’s best pitmasters, its tradition of live-fire cooking, and Southern tailgate culture. Hosted by Southern Living, Food+Fire will be feature celebrity chefs such as Kelsey Barnard Clark, Jess Pryles, David Bancroft, and Michelle Wallace, as well as music by some of the South’s hottest bands—Big Sam’s Funky Nation (New Orleans, Louisiana) and Eddie 9V (Athens, Georgia). There’s also a tailgate lounge with a giant television screen for watching the day’s big games, a craft beer and wine garden, and some of the best barbecue you’ll ever taste.