First Ever Festival Of Its Kind (Mac & Cheese) Coming To Bismarck

Remember growing up, when lunchtime rolled around and when you're mom asked what you wanted for lunch, it was always, "mac and cheese".

Mac and cheese is the comfort food for so many, and now you can enjoy it in a whole new way.

Say, "Cheese," Introducing the first-ever Mac and Cheese Festival.

It's coming to Bismarck's Cottonwood Park on Saturday, May 13th from 5-8 pm.  This event is presented by Dakota Community Bank and Trust.

Mac and Cheese fans will have the unique opportunity to try different twists on mac and cheese from local restaurants and food trucks.  What goes well with Mac and Cheese?  Why BEER of course and there will be a variety of different domestic and local craft beers available.

Tickets available for the first-ever Mac & Cheese Festival are on sale NOW!

You can get yours now here.  Only a very limited number of walk-up tickets will be available for this event (100) and you are asked to show up at 4 pm.

Local restaurants Laughing Sun Brewing Co. and Stonehome Brewing Co. along with North Dakota food trucks Blue Bird Grille and Hensley’s Tasty Truck are among the first vendors to be announced.

New vendors recently added to the Mac & Cheese Festival:

The Mac and Cheese Festival promises not to be your average festival and is meant for the whole family to attend.  Tickets for this event are all-inclusive with various levels of mac and cheese tokens, beer tokens (optional), commemorative items, live music, inflatables for the kids, yard games, and more.

The Mac & Cheese Festival is excited to announce its first live performer.  Savanah Benz.

Also set to perform is Phil McMahon of the McMahon Brothers.

Just added to the lineup of performers:  Natalie & Randy!

Attendees will have a voice in sending one vendor to the 2023 World Food Championship, so be sure to bring your taste buds and vote for your favorite mac and cheese dish.

The Cheddar Council, a panel of expert and celebrity judges, will analyze all restaurants' dishes for execution, appearance, and taste. The best dish at the festival will be awarded a Golden Ticket, which earns the vendor a waived entry valued at $2,500 into the Rice/Noodle Category at the 2023 World Food Championships.

Interested restaurants and food trucks can email info@funatixevents.com to learn more about how you can participate.

"We are thrilled to bring the first annual Mac & Cheese Festival in Bismarck to Cottonwood Park," said Jordan Black, the general manager of Funatix Events. "We hear from the community time and time again, they want more community, family-friendly events and that is our goal with Mac and Cheese Fest."

Due to limited capacity and to ensure the best experience for event-goers, tickets will be limited for this event. 

The best way to stay up to date with the festival is to become a member of the "First to the Cheese" Priority List, which offers priority access to tickets, including the limited 500 VIP Mac Daddy tickets available. Plus, they’ll receive weekly updates on the event’s restaurants, entertainment, and more.

Andi Ahne from our Townsquare Media family of stations will be a celebrity judge for the event.

And another celebrity judge has been announced, Stephanie Miller, the owner of Butterhorn and former Top Chef contestant.

Also set to judge the Mac & Cheese Festival:

To learn more about VIP Mac Daddy tickets, other ticket packages, and more, visit the official event website here.