Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival Celebrates 12 Years of Good Food and Good Community

Atlanta tradition returns October 18 in a new Dunwoody location, bringing together barbecue, friendly competition and a community that welcomes everyone

ATLANTA, GA, UNITED STATES, September 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — There are few things that bring people together quite like good food.

For 12 years, the Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival has put that idea into practice, bringing people from across metro Atlanta together over brisket, ribs, chicken and chili—and proving along the way that you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy some seriously good kosher barbecue.

The festival returns Sunday, October 18, 2026, from noon to 4 p.m., this year at a new Dunwoody location, 66 Perimeter Center East, near Perimeter Mall. Admission is free, and everyone is invited.

At its heart, the Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival is a barbecue competition. Teams prepare kosher versions of BBQ favorites before putting their brisket, beef ribs, chicken and chili in front of the judges.

But the competition is only part of what has kept the festival going for more than a decade.

The other part is community.

Over the years, the festival has become a gathering place for families, friends, businesses and community organizations representing many different backgrounds. Some attendees know all about keeping kosher. Others may be experiencing kosher food—or a Jewish community event—for the first time.

Both are equally welcome.

The festival is an opportunity to share Jewish culture with the larger Atlanta community in one of the easiest and most universal ways possible: sitting down together and eating something delicious.

Last year marked a new chapter when the festival was taken over by the Atlanta Jewish Life Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on strengthening Jewish life and creating opportunities for connection.

That spirit is visible throughout the festival. Community organizations meet new neighbors. Local businesses interact with families. Teams talk with attendees about what they’re cooking. Old friends reconnect, new friendships are made and people who might otherwise never cross paths find themselves sharing a table.

And, inevitably, everyone has an opinion about who made the best brisket.

Kosher barbecue also gives visitors a fun introduction to kosher food. The requirements governing kosher preparation add another dimension to the competition, but the goal is familiar to anyone who loves barbecue: perfect your technique and make something people want another bite of.

The result is a distinctly Atlanta combination—a Jewish community tradition built around one of the South’s favorite culinary traditions.

Think Your Team Can Bring the Heat?

This year’s festival isn’t just inviting Atlanta to come hungry. Team registration is still open for groups ready to fire up the smokers and join the competition.

You don’t have to be a professional pitmaster. Friends, families, businesses, schools, community organizations, first responders, congregations and other groups are invited to assemble a team and compete for prizes, trophies and bragging rights.

Teams compete in kosher beef brisket, beef ribs, chicken and chili and follow the festival’s kosher preparation and competition requirements, with guidance provided to participating teams.

For groups that have always wanted to try competition barbecue—or are simply convinced their crew can cook better than everyone else’s—this is the opportunity.

Now in its 12th year, the festival’s move to Dunwoody offers an opportunity to introduce the tradition to even more of Atlanta.

Whether you’re there because you keep kosher, love barbecue, want to support a team, are looking for a fun afternoon with family and friends, or simply followed the smell of brisket, there’s a place for you.

Because after 12 years, the Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival is still about the same two things:

Good food and good community.

The 12th Annual Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival takes place Sunday, October 18, 2026, from 12–4 p.m. at 66 Perimeter Center East in Dunwoody, Georgia. Admission is free, the festival is open to everyone, and team registration is open now.

For festival information, team registration, sponsorship opportunities and updates, visit theatlantakosherbbq.com.

Jacqueline Morris
Atlanta Jewish Life Foundation
+1 770-265-3803
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