Update on 9/30/19 — The event has been cancelled.
Earlier: Would you pay forty bucks for a beer and and ten samples of macaroni and cheese from “top chefs?”
Apparently hundreds, if not thousands, of people are answering “yes” to that question. The Nova Mac and Cheese Festival is coming to the area around the Ballston Metro station next weekend, and some 1,200 people say they’re going and another 25,000 people say they’re “interested” in the event on Facebook.
Tickets to the festival are not cheap. It’s $20 just to attend, watch others eat, and listen to the live bands — more to buy individual food and drink tickets. $40 will get you 10 food tickets and 1 drink ticket for beer, cider, wine or soda. For $55, you can be a mac and cheese VIP with two drinks and access to a “private VIP area with private bathrooms.”
By comparison, $149.99 will buy a 27-pound bucket of Chef’s Banquet Macaroni and Cheese that will last up to 20 years.
Organizers argue that the mac and cheese at the festival — held from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5 — will be extra delicious. Also, there will be entertainment.
More from an event description:
VIP TICKETS NEARLY SOLD OUT…
It’s Here – The Cheesiesst Event Northern Virginia Has Ever Seen…
NoVA Mac and Cheese Festival –
We’re Taking Over the Street – N. Fairfax Dr., Arlington, VA!
Top Chefs, Food Trucks and Food Vendors Serving up the World’s Most Amazing (and Cheesiest!) Dish – America’s Own Mac and Cheese! More than just a Food Festival, we’ll also have an amazing selection of Craft Beers, wines and ciders to sample. You’ll get
- Over 30 Kinds of Mac and Cheese to sample from top chefs and food vendors
- Great craft beers, wines and ciders to sample
- Live Bands and Entertainment
- Get to Vote for Northern VA’s Best Mac and Cheese!
We expect this event to Sell Out fast, so get your tickets and get ready to taste the most fantastic thing ever created on this Great Earth. Cheesey, Gooey, Over-the-top Macaroni presentations… As Ben Franklin once said “Macaroni is what makes this Nation Great!” – well, we’re not sure about the quote – but do you really want to miss this??
You Must be 21 or older to consume alcohol and must bring a valid ID – Children 9 years old and under get Free Admission.
Photo courtesy Nova Mac and Cheese Festival