Mac and cheese becomes a walking itinerary when Red Bank’s second annual Mac & Cheese Festival returns Saturday, Sept. 26, from 1–5 pm. Organized by lokel group, the event sends ticket holders from restaurant to restaurant to sample each kitchen’s featured version. Organizers say last year’s festival sold out with 750 participants, and attendance is capped at 750 again.
The lineup includes JBJ Soul Kitchen, Char Steakhouse, Dublin House, Local Smoke BBQ, Patrizia’s, Pazzo MMX, Toast, and Urban Coalhouse, among others. Restaurants and offerings are subject to change.
The essential accessory is a Mac Passport. Participants check in at Urban Coalhouse, 2 Bridge Ave., to collect theirs, then choose their own route and pace. Admission includes one sample of each participating restaurant’s featured mac. Check-in closes at 3 pm, two hours before the tastings end, and the event takes place rain or shine.
This is a tasting tour, so organizers ask guests to leave restaurant tables available unless purchasing additional food or drinks. Mobile tickets are accepted, and tickets must be purchased through the official festival website.
The festival also invites participants to support JBJ Soul Kitchen through optional donations at checkout, with a fundraising goal of $1,000. Tickets and donation information