Families gather in the Yard at Easton Town Center to support The James at last year’s Mac and Cheese Festival on Sept. 26, 2025. Credit: Courtesy of The James Comprehensive Cancer Center
In a celebration of community, research and new recipes, a beloved festival will return to Columbus for its ninth year.?
The Columbus Mac and Cheese Festival will be held at The Yard at Easton Town Center Friday, featuring a lineup of 22 versions of mac and cheese from central Ohio restaurants and live entertainment through its partnership with The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.
Cherai Morris, assistant director of community partners and events at The James, said the fundraiser began in 2016 after Josh Barkan, a member of The James’ NextGen Ambassadors Society and the festival’s appointed mac and cheese chair, brought the idea to Columbus after attending a similar event in another state. Morris said organizers want the festival to feel like a space where cancer survivors can connect with one another.
“[We’re] trying to bring those survivors together to rally together and let them know that there’s a community that’s around them that supports them,” she said.
Morris said in previous years, the festival has raised more than $591,000 for adolescent and adult cancer initiatives at The James.
The festival, Morris said, is hosted by the James NextGen Ambassadors Society — a philanthropic fundraising group that partners with The James to support the Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program and strengthen the connection between Columbus residents and those affected by cancer.
“There’s a big task on our end to really amplify the messaging so that people who are there understand the importance,” said Joni Mitchell, program coordinator for James Development and Volunteer Engagement.?
Mitchell said many of the festival’s volunteers come from the Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program, including survivors who support the cause by educating attendees and assisting with event operations.?
Those involved in the program will also share survivor stories to increase awareness of cancer and treatment among young adults and the broader community.
Alongside the platform for survivors, the festival will feature mac and cheese vendors, live bands, an interactive James wall and family-friendly activities throughout the afternoon.
Attendees ages 13 and over will have access to all 22 food vendors with an entry fee of $30, while children can enter for $10.
Attendees are encouraged to explore different takes on the classic mac and cheese dishes and vote for their favorite vendor, Mitchell said. The winner is crowned “Best Mac and Cheese” at the end of the event.?
Morris said the festival anticipates more than 1,800 community members to be in attendance this year, including Columbus residents, those impacted by The James and casual festivalgoers drawn in by the lineup of food and activities.
“Columbus is a big city, but it is quite tight knit when it comes to things like this,” Mitchell said. “When you can get the community together to rally behind something, a lot of good can be done.”
The Mac and Cheese festival, hosted in The Yard at Easton Town Center, will run from 4-7:30 p.m. Friday. Tickets can be purchased on the website.?
