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About Frydown

Benefitting Cahaba River Society

Cahaba River Frydown 2024 will take place on Sunday, September 29th, from 12 to 4 p.m. at Cahaba Brewing. 

Cahaba River Frydown 2024 is the 15th annual catfish cookoff and festival celebrating the Cahaba River and benefiting the Cahaba River Society. It’s Birmingham’s only fish fry competition with judges and crowd tasting, making it a culinary treat and a must-taste event in Birmingham's dynamic food scene. Comedienne Joy is our emcee, and we are featuring live entertainment from The Swamp Poppas, Divine Entertainment, and Magic City Disco Dancers. 

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Visit our media page for our downloadable media kit. 

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Adult tickets are $20. Kids 12 and under are free. Every attendee gets a wristband that includes:

  • Unlimited catfish tasting

  • Soft drinks provided by Coca-Cola United (a $1 donation is requested but not required)

  • The Cahaba River Adventure Experience - an exciting, interactive, and educational experience for all ages.

  • Mountain High Outfitters Climbing Wall

  • Photo booth

  • Painted Personalities Face Painting

  • Games

  • Bouncy houses

  • Hoop for Fitness hula hooping

  • Prizes

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Additional food and beverages are available for purchase, including craft beer and cocktails from Cahaba Brewing, Sno Wood Snoballs, and The Current at Cahaba food truck.

What is a Frydown?

A frydown is a fish fry competition. Alabamians have been hosting frydowns since before there was an Alabama. Fried fish has always crossed cultural boundaries and brought us together when little else could. Cahaba River Frydown 2024 carries on that tradition, creating a space for all Alabamians to celebrate the river that provides our drinking water and the diverse community that calls the Cahaba River watershed home.

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The Competition

It’s called a frydown, but we encourage our teams to be creative and prepare the catfish any way they choose. Guests have enjoyed fish cold-smoked, grilled, sautéed, and countless other creative and varied presentations. Corporate and community team creations are evaluated by a panel of high-profile judges.
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Awards include Most Creative, Best Presentation, Ken Bowen Team Spirit Award, Best Side Dish, and more. Learn more about the awards on our Compete page.​

Celebrity Judges

Cahaba River Fry-Down

Cahaba River Fry-Down

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