Birmingham’s ten-day culinary showcase welcomes chefs and makers from across the South, starting this Friday.
This fall, Birmingham cements its undeniable status as one of the South’s most compelling dining cities with the return of Southbound Food Festival. From September 19–28, 2025, the city will become a stage for chefs, artisans, and makers, filling the month with collaborative dinners, signature tastings, music, and cultural programming. Anchored in two of the city’s most iconic venues —Pepper Place and the Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark — Southbound aims to do more than feed a crowd. It’s also designed as a nonprofit, mission-driven festival that places the city of Birmingham squarely in the league of cultural powerhouses.
Events to Catch
The Southbound Food Festival begins on Friday, September 19 with the Heritage Dinner: Coastal Traditions, staged on the downtown chic streets of Pepper Place. A multi-course feast, it pays homage to Alabama’s Gulf seafood and honors the recipients of the 2025 Frank Stitt Award for Industry Excellence. The dinner sets the tone for Southbound ‘s heritage-rich but forward-looking feel, rooted in the flavors that define the state.
The following morning, Rooted: Women in Food takes over the Market at Pepper Place. Presented by Les Dames d’Escoffier and hosted by celebrated authors Toni Tipton-Martin and Morgan Bolling, this event places female voices at the center of the conversation. Expect a lively mix of chef demos, book signings, brunch-style tastings, and conversation with some of the region’s most influential women.
Throughout the week, Hosted: A Collaborative Series extends Southbound Food Festival beyond its central venues, activating restaurants and cultural spaces across Birmingham. These one-night-only dinners, panels, and pop-ups are designed to foster connection between local chefs and visiting talent, including:
– Adios x Yosue Cordero Badillo Bar Takeover
– Le Fresca X Chef Richard Neal
– Roscoe Hall Pop Up Art Show
While the line-up shifts daily, the through-line is collaboration: giving diners a chance to see how Birmingham’s culinary community works in harmony with voices from across the South and beyond.
The festival’s crescendo arrives on Saturday, September 27 with Southern Living’s Food & Fire, a sprawling walk-around tasting event at Sloss Furnaces. This is where Birmingham’s industrial heritage meets the primal spectacle of live fire cooking.
Attendees will experience pitmasters, chefs, and artisans serving dishes cooked over open flames, with stages and lounges woven throughout: the Southern Living Tailgate Stage presented by Hellmann’s, the Coca-Cola Music Stage, the Avadian Credit Union Tailgate Lounge, and the Hop City Craft Beer & Wine Garden. It’s a high-energy collision of tailgate culture, culinary innovation, and live performance that captures the festival’s full spirit.
The finale unfolds on Sunday, September 28 with Funk Brunch: Gospel Bird, presented by Kroger Delivery. Fried chicken, the “gospel bird” of Sunday tables, anchors the menu — accompanied by modern riffs, gospel-infused music, and cocktails. Set against the backdrop of Sloss Furnaces, it’s both a joyful sendoff and a reminder of how deeply food and fellowship are woven into Southern identity.
Why Birmingham and Why Now?
Chefs here are drawing from a uniquely rich pantry: Gulf seafood, Black Belt produce, Appalachian traditions, and deep-rooted barbecue and soul food cultures. Nationally acclaimed restaurants, cookbook authors, and artisans have built a dining scene that feels both distinctly local and globally relevant. With events like Southbound scaling up, the city is proving it’s not just a regional underdog, it’s a legitimate destination in the national culinary landscape.