If you’re ready for a cheesy good time, mark your calendar for the Columbus Mac & Cheese Festival! Now in its ninth year, the festival is one evening of sampling mac and cheese from local restaurants, and the ticket money funds cancer care for teens and young adults.
Proceeds from the event benefit the Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) cancer program at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James).
| Columbus Mac & Cheese Festival at a glance | |
| When | Friday, September 25, 4 to 7:30 p.m. |
| Where | The Yard at Easton Town Center, 3989 Merchants Row, Columbus |
| Adult ticket (13+) | $30, includes mac samples from every restaurant vendor |
| Kids (3–12) | $10, and 50% off the second and each additional child ticket. Under 3 free. |
| VIP | $125, Beeline patio with extra food and complimentary drinks |
| Benefits | Adolescent and Young Adult cancer program at The James |
This year’s festival is Friday, September 25, from 4 to 7:30 p.m. at The Yard at Easton Town Center (3989 Merchants Row, Columbus). The Yard is on the north side of Easton, just past Macy’s and east of Nordstrom, with the Worth Ave. Parking Garage right next door.
Tickets, and what they get you
General admission is $30 for anyone 13 and up, and it covers mac and cheese samples from every restaurant at the festival. Drinks are sold separately, with water, soda, beer, and wine available. Kids ages 3 to 12 are $10, and children under 3 get in free. New this year, the second child ticket and every one after it is half off, applied automatically at checkout.
VIP tickets are $125 and get you into the VIP area on the patio of The Beeline, where extra food options and complimentary drinks are served, hard liquor included.
Early-bird pricing ended August 31. Walk-up tickets will be sold as space allows, but organizers expect the festival to sell out, so buying ahead is the safer plan.
Good food for a good cause
The festival is hosted by the NextGen James Ambassadors Society and features mac and cheese from some of Central Ohio’s favorite spots. Along with the mac, expect live entertainment and a kid zone. It all runs on a Friday evening, so it works as a family outing or as the first stop before a night out at Easton.
Last year’s lineup gives you an idea of what shows up: 36 Catering, Chuy’s, Degrees Restaurant at Columbus State, Dos Hermanos, Forbidden Root, Mitchell’s Ocean Club, Ritzy’s, Rusty Bucket Easton, Slurping Turtle, Sweet Carrot, and Way Down Yonder all served, along with the James Mobile Education Kitchen and a handful of caterers. Check the festival page for this year’s list.
In 2025, the festival raised more than $100,000, pushing the total over eight years past $591,000. That money has paid for a national oncofertility conference, social programs for young survivors, several research studies, and gaming consoles for the family room at The James.
Tickets are expected to sell out, so buy ahead. Full details and tickets are on the festival page at The James.
