Atlanta Mac and Cheese Festival returns October 24

If you have a strong opinion on who makes the best mac and cheese in Atlanta, you are about to get a chance to settle it. The Atlanta Mac and Cheese Festival is back for 2026, and it is taking over Believe Music Hall for a full day on Saturday, October 24, from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM. The whole point of the day is to answer one question: who actually makes the best mac and cheese in the city?

There is some history behind the festival that explains why it is taking this shape. The idea was born in 2019 as a way to settle the debate over the city's best mac and cheese, but the pandemic put those original plans on hold. The community kept asking for it, and the festival finally returned in 2026 as the city's first-ever Atlanta Mac & Cheese Festival — a full-day, family-friendly celebration of the South's favorite comfort food that brings together chefs, restaurants, home cooks and foodies.

The day is built around the Mac & Cheese Tasting Competition, where you taste and vote digitally. Voting closes at 4:00 PM, and the results lead to the coronation of the Atlanta Mac Queen & King at 6:00 PM. The stakes are real for the cooks: first place takes home $500 and the title of Atlanta Mac Fest Champion, second place gets $250, and third place walks away with $100. Beyond the competition, there is a vendor market with gourmet street food, local art and vintage festival fashion, plus full bars, coffee and food vendors from across Atlanta, so you are not limited to just one dish.

It is set up to work for families, too. An outdoor kids bounce zone opens at 11:00 AM, and there is an indoor kiddie rave inside the venue's actual nightclub, complete with live DJs, laser lights and glowing sticks. The outdoor festival and live DJs kick in at 2:00 PM, and the main stage music carries the day toward the 9:00 PM close. Tickets start at $14, with all-in pricing landing around $32.50, children 12 and under get in free, and the kiddie rave is sold separately.

The venue is worth a mention on its own. Believe Music Hall, at 181 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd SW in the Mechanicsville area, is a 20,000-square-foot concert and corporate event hall converted from a 100-year-old church. It sits just off the I-75/85 Connector, less than 1.3 miles from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and is spread across three levels: the main music hall with its open dance floor and stage, a private mezzanine overlooking the room, and a lower-level lounge, plus a garden patio and an elevated terrace with a view of the Atlanta skyline. The four event spaces — the Main Room, Wish Lounge, Garden Patio and Terrace — can be reserved separately or combined, which is how the festival is able to run a tasting competition, a kids zone and a nightclub rave all under one roof.

So, if you have a favorite local mac and cheese spot you have been championing, this is the day to put it to the test. Grab a ticket, bring the kids, and come hungry.