Every fall, Austinites drives out to a ranch in Bee Cave to eat mac and cheese out of cast iron skillets next to a campfire. This will be the third year they’ve done it at Star Hill Ranch, so at this point it’s less a novelty and more a tradition, the way showing up to Franklin at 6 a.m. is a tradition and not a cry for help.
The Austin Mac and Cheese Festival returns on Sunday, November 15, at Star Hill Ranch in Bee Cave, rebranded this year as Camp Mac and Cheese, a fall getaway themed food festival built around the idea that the best part of camp was never the activities. It was the food, and somebody finally decided to build an entire event around that theory.
Camp Mac and Cheese blends the nostalgia of a fall retreat with what has quietly become one of the more indulgent food festivals in Central Texas. Expect chef driven mac and cheese creations from more than 20 food and beverage participants, barbecue, desserts, a full beverage lineup, live music, and outdoor camp activities spread across Star Hill Ranch’s converted historic buildings and grounds, all under a canopy of live oaks that were doing their job long before anyone thought to put a cheese pull next to a campfire.
The day runs on a schedule built for eating early, with VIP entry starting at 11 a.m., General Admission at noon, and the festival wraps at 3 p.m., giving VIP guests a full extra hour with the food before the crowd doubles. Organizers are expecting more than 1,000 attendees and over 200 VIP guests this year.
Attendees can expect camp themed photo opportunities, themed merch, and giveaways from sponsors. They’ll also get a chance to vote on for their favorite offerings for the People’s Choice competition, and a panel of select judges will name a Judges’ Choice winner, offering the Championship Belt Award to two participating teams. There is also a dedicated live music stage under the oak canopy, because nothing pairs with a bacon mac and cheese quite like a guitar and a fire pit.
For those that run and operate a restaurant, food truck, or eatery and want in, the festival is currently booking food and beverage vendors, along with brand and product sponsorship tiers, with options ranging from branded activation houses inside Star Hill Ranch’s historic buildings to booth space along Main Street, the festival’s main foot traffic corridor. Vendors and sponsors can reach out directly at maccheesefest@gmail.com, or find more information at macncheesetour.com.
Early bird tickets opens July 10 in limited quantities. If you have been to Camp Mac and Cheese before or you are already on the Austin Food Magazine list, keep an eye on your inbox. If you are not on it yet, now is the moment, because early access is not staying open long and nobody wants to be the person explaining to their friends why they are stuck on the general admission list in September.
Mark the calendar for November 15. Camp Mac and Cheese is coming to Star Hill Ranch, and this is the earliest anyone outside the festival team has known about it.
