A combo for foodies: Nonprofits offer combo ticket for Gumbo Gala and Magic City Mac N’ Cheese Festival

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Like many other Birmingham nonprofits, Community Grief Support (CGS) and Episcopal Place fill important roles in the city.

CGS provides a wide range of free services, including counseling and support groups, for bereaved adults to help them move on with their lives in a positive way after the death of a spouse or other loved one.

Episcopal Place, located on Southside, provides low-income seniors and disabled adults with safe, affordable housing and other services in a home-like environment.

Both organizations stage large, food-centric events as their annual fundraisers.

Episcopal Place will present the Gumbo Gala food tasting and competition at Sloss Furnaces on Saturday, April 18, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Now in its 15th year, the event typically attracts more than 40 cook teams and about 3,000 attendees, said Jamie Whitehurst, director of development at Episcopal Place.

CGS will present the Magic City Mac N’ Cheese Festival at Back Forty Beer Company in Sloss Docks on Sunday, April 26, from 1-4 p.m. The event will feature live music and macaroni and cheese dishes from Birmingham restaurants and vendors.

This year, however, the two nonprofits are partnering to help drive attendees to both events. They’re offering a combo ticket to both fundraisers for $30.

“This year marks the first time that Gumbo Gala and the Mac N’ Cheese Festival have been only a week apart, so it just made sense to offer combo tickets for both events,” Whitehurst said.

“We thought it was a good combo for foodies who want to have two food festivals together,” said Lisa Harrison, CGS administrative director.

Both events “will win new fans because of our partnership,” Whitehurst said.

There’s already a strong relationship between the organizations, Harrison said.

“They’re very helpful to us,” she said. “They’ve volunteered at our event before, and we’ve volunteered at their event.”

“It’s always a pleasure to work with such a great organization,” Whitehurst said, referring to CGS, “and who doesn’t like mac n’ cheese?”

GUMBO GALA

There are three categories of teams in the gumbo competition, including professional chefs, students and backyard chefs.

Each team competes in one of three categories: chicken & sausage, seafood or specialty, Whitehurst said.

The event has seen “some amazing gumbo” and “countless recipes,” he said.

The specialty division gets “really creative,” Whitehurst said. “Some of the previous gumbo recipes have included venison, alligator and duck. We’ve also had vegetarian gumbo.”

Gumbo seems to be a solid anchor for an event. “Gumbo is such a regional dish with a rich history,” Whitehurst said. “Everyone has a favorite recipe or a secret to making the best roux.”

This adds to the gala’s vibe and atmosphere.

“There are many stories to share while standing around the pot cooking gumbo with family and friends,” Whitehurst said.

Gumbo Gala, first held in 2006, retains a strong Louisiana vibe. This is appropriate given its origins in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

After the storm, Episcopal Place gained six new residents from Louisiana and Mississippi who had lost their homes.

“In an effort to help the new residents feel more at home, Episcopal Place staff and board members had a gumbo party in their honor,” Whitehurst said.

The event was successful — so successful that it’s become what Whitehurst calls a “Birmingham tradition.”

The pet-friendly event features live music from Margeaux and the Cats Meow, a 10-piece band.

There will also be a kids’ zone, food trucks, beverages and local art and merchandise for sale.

Margeaux and the Cats’ Meow will lead a New Orleans-style second line parade at 1:30 p.m.

This will be followed by awards and trophies to the best gumbos of 2020.

In addition to the combo ticket, adult admissions to Gumbo Gala are $20. Children ages 12 and under are admitted free.

Tickets are available at gumbogala.com and at the gate.

MAGIC CITY MAC N’ CHEESE FESTIVAL

The Magic City Mac N’ Cheese Festival, in its fourth year, is “a fun way to bring the community together for something bigger than ourselves,” Harrison said.

The event was held in the fall for the first three years, including 2018 and 2019, when it was held at Brookwood Village in October, but the weather didn’t cooperate. “It was really, really hot,” Harrison said.

Organizers moved the event to the spring in search of cooler temperatures and to find a “really fun venue,” Harrison said.

“Back Forty Beer Company is perfect for this,” he said. “They have a big open space in the back.”

The event has drawn at least 2,500 people each year and more than 3,000 one year, Harrison said.

Organizers hope to see attendance in the range of 3,000-5,000 this year, she said.

The organization’s junior board came up with the idea for the festival, Harrison said.

“We help people who are grieving the loss of a loved one, and macaroni and cheese is such a comfort food, and it goes along with our mission,” she said.

The competitors at the festival often do unusual variations on the old favorite, including a barbecue macaroni and cheese and a dessert macaroni and cheese.

“One we had last year that was popular had stout beer in it,” Harrison said.

At press time, vendors confirmed for 2020 were Eugene’s Hot Chicken, Chef Shawn & Co., Joel’s Southern Cooking, The Southern and Porky’s Pride Smoke House.

In addition to the combo ticket, Early Bird Tickets are $15. Tickets the day of the event are $20. Children 12 years of age and under are admitted for $5. Children 5 years of age and under are admitted free.

For details, call 205-870-8667 or go to macfestbhm.com.