Special to The Times
Birmingham has transformed in recent decades from a gritty industrial town to a foodie paradise. Its vibrant restaurant scene has been praised by outlets like Fodor’s, Esquire, CNN Travel and The New York Times. Condé Nast Traveler called Birmingham “one of the South’s must-visit cities” for its award-winning eateries and cultural offerings.
The Magic City leveraged this reputation the last two years by hosting the Birmingham FOOD+Culture Festival, which featured acclaimed local and national chefs, pitmasters and mixologists. In 2024, the festival attracted guests from 19 states and Canada.
In 2025, the city will host the same great party with a new name – the Southbound Food Festival. The event now spans two weekends from Sept. 19-28 and will return to popular downtown venues like Pepper Place and the Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark. A nonprofit, Southbound is presented by Southern Living, the Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Alabama Department of Tourism.
The festival has hosted many James Beard Foundation nominees and winners and TV personalities from Bravo and the Food Network, with more acclaimed talents expected this year.
“Expanding to two weekends and adopting the Southbound Food Festival name allows the event to better reflect its broad mission—creating more space for discovery, collaboration and shared culinary experiences,” said Cathy Sloss Jones, the nonprofit’s board president.
“With a new name and an expanded mission, Southbound Food Festival will bring culinary fans from far and wide to experience the magic food culture of this city,” said Sid Evans, editor-in-chief of Southern Living magazine.
Southbound Food Festival features several signature events, climaxing with the Funk Brunch: Gospel Bird, on Sunday, Sept. 28, at Sloss Furnaces. Presented by Kroger Delivery, the Funk Brunch features great food, cocktails, and live music.
The Funk Brunch evokes the Southern tradition of communal Sunday dinners after church centered on fried chicken — the “gospel bird.” The chefs at Funk Brunch will serve modern takes on fried chicken and other items, along with signature brunch cocktails.
A special dish that unites generations, fried chicken symbolizes community, celebration, gathering and the resilience of Black culinary traditions. The brunch promises to be joyful, soulful, and distinctly Southern in the best way.
Leigh Sloss-Corra, the nonprofit’s board vice-president, calls the Funk Brunch “the grand finale” of the festival and said it offers “direct access to incredible music in a gorgeous setting while sampling incredible food and sipping on yummy drinks.”
Here are other great events at Southbound Food Festival:
Heritage Dinner: Coastal Traditions. Fri., Sept. 19, Streets of Pepper Place.
The Heritage Dinner is a family-style meal served by local and regional chefs in a lovely outdoor setting. The dinner will honor Alabama’s Gulf oysters, seafood, and coastal food traditions, as well as this year’s recipients of the Frank Stitt Award for Industry Excellence, Beth and Bill Walton. The Waltons have made a lifelong commitment to sustainable aquaculture, community-centered seafood education and support for the next generation of oyster farmers in the Gulf.
Rooted: Women In Food. Sat., Sept. 20, The Market at Pepper Place.
Celebrating the deep roots women have in our food system, Rooted will feature chef demos, book signings and the work of female farmers, artisans, and makers during the Market at Pepper Place. Hosted by the authors of “When Southern Women Cook,” Toni Tipton-Martin and Morgan Bolling, the event will feature thoughtful conversation with regional chefs featured in the book, as well as local females in the food and beverage industry. At the Rooted meet & greet, guests can connect with the hosts, chefs, authors, and makers over brunch cocktails crafted by local female mixologists and bites from Hot and Hot Fish Club. The event is sponsored by Les Dames d’Escoffier, an organization of women in food, beverage, and hospitality.
Hosted: A Collaborative Series. All week long. Participating restaurants and venues.
Local restaurants and bars will host out-of-town chefs for one-night-only collaborative menus. Reservations are suggested, but the events are not ticketed, allowing the entire community to take part in Southbound. The schedule also includes panels and pop-up tastings.
Food & Fire. Sat., Sept. 27. Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark.
The festival’s cornerstone, Food & Fire is a daytime tasting event that celebrates the barbecue community, live-fire cooking, and Southern tailgate culture. Regional and national chefs and pitmasters will put an open-fire spin on signature bites and tailgate classics.
Food & Fire will feature the Southern Living Tailgate Stage presented by Hellmann’s and The Coca Cola Music Stage with musical acts The Heavy Heavy and Southern Avenue. The Avadian Credit Union Tailgate Lounge will feature a large screen for viewing SEC football games as well as the Hop City Craft Beer+Wine Garden, with dozens of Alabama breweries and wineries.
“I go to lots of festivals, and Food & Fire has become one of the best food events of its kind in the country,” Evans said. “It’s highly curated, it’s in a great location, and it has this wonderful mix of chefs, bands, cooking demos and football that you could only find on a fall Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama.”
“The shared experience of tasting new and unfamiliar foods with friends and strangers is fun and exciting.” Sloss-Corra said.
The festival is offering a handful of early bird tickets at discounted prices while they last beginning July 7. For information and tickets, visit southboundfoodfest.com or follow the festival on social media @southboundfoodfest
