Mac and cheese, mac and cheese and more mac and cheese, please.
On Saturday, Feb. 9, Geaux Rouge Productions Capital City Mac Fest presented by Perkins Rowe will grace the new green space with its cheesy goodness.
University alumnus Franz Borghardt, co-owner of Geaux Rouge Productions and creator and founder of Baton Rouge Brunches, initially conceived the event thanks to someone suggesting a mac and cheese event would be a lot of fun. It so happened that such an event aligned itself perfectly with Geaux Rouge Productions’ principle: to develop events that create an unforgettable experience that also improves the community. The rest is cheesy history.
“The first year it was at Curbside [Burgers]. We had a whole bunch of people there. It was a lot of fun, perfect weather,” Borghardt said. “And so we wanted to do it again and we wanted to do it in an awesome Baton Rouge space and the new Perkins Rowe area just made sense.”
The lineup for Mac Fest includes over 10 food vendors: Provisions on Perkins, City Pork Deli & Charcuterie, Shroomheads, Sammy’s Grill, Creole Cabana, Cou-Yon’s Cajun Bar-B-Q, Baton Rouge General Medical Center, Our Mom’s Restaurant & Bar, The Overpass Merchant, Tchew’s, GOYaYa’s Crepes, Bin 77 Bistro & SideBar, The Guest Chef BR, The Rum House and The Big Cheezy. GOYaYa’s Crepes is the reigning winner for last year’s Mac Fest.
“Basically you buy a ticket and you get a sample of the different vendors and then you get to vote on which one you like the best,” Borghardt said. “There will be a judge’s panel as well who votes on the best. Tickets are $35 and $10 of every ticket goes to support the Baton Rouge General Burn Camp.”
Through Geaux Rouge Productions, Borghardt is able to develop and deliver new events to the Capitol City Area. Some of the events like Mac Fest raise funds for charitable causes. According to the Geaux Rouge Productions’ website, he has organized multiple charity events benefiting various causes and raised over $50,000. Borghardt is not new to public service — he is also an attorney who has served the community and his clients for over a decade and is the owner of the Borghardt Law Firm.
“We’re hoping to raise as much money as possible for the Burn Camp,” Borghardt said “We’re really excited about giving a portion of the tickets to the Burn Camp. Partnering with Baton Rouge General is always a good thing.”
Borghardt’s separate company, Geaux Rouge, is marketing the event for Geaux Rouge Productions. Some of their other events include the 2016 Fundraiser Under the Overpass, Brunching for Greater Baton Rouge, BRunchFest, and Burger on the Bayou.
“Geaux Rouge Productions is a company that myself and Nick Hufft co-own,” Borghardt said. “We put on large scale events. Some of them are charity events, some of them are for profits. But basically, they’re large scale food events and we try to develop community-oriented events for the city of Baton Rouge.”
Tickets for Capital City Mac Fest presented by Perkins Rowe are available for purchase through Eventbrite.

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Courtesy of Franz Borghardt