M. Jay Wisham and Eric Hall at the Atlanta Grilled Cheese Festival in June 2018. They won the amateur division this year

TIFTON — The Grocery Music Festival at Collins is scheduled for Sat. Nov. 17 from noon until 8 p.m. according to festival co-hosts M. Jay Hall and Eric Wisham.

Proceeds from the festival will go towards feeding three families for Thanksgiving, according to Hall.

Wisham and Hall said that the concept was inspired by the Collins event space, which used to be a grocery store owned by Hall’s grandfather.

Hall said that both of them have ties to the grocery business and they wanted to put something together that would pay homage to that.

Hall said the festival’s goal is diversity.

“When you go in a grocery store you’ve got all these different type of nationalities of food, people, music being played,” Hall said. “You can make food from all over the world. What brings people together better than good music, good times and good food?”

Wisham said that they want to do a different competition each year. This year it is a grilled cheese competition, but next year it may be a wing cookoff.

“We want to grow it to where we have multiple food vendors from different cultural backgrounds cooking different type of things,” Hall said.

The festival will feature food vendors and live music from the area.

Performers include DJ Simba, Roger Jackson, Kris Tha Kinnect, Tanner Strickland and Harry King and the 3PieceNoSides.

A grilled cheese contest will take place throughout the festival. The winner will be chosen by festival goers by dropping a token in a jar next to their favorite grilled cheese.

Anyone can enter in the competition, but they’re going up against two grilled cheese masters: Hall and Wisham, who entered and won the amateur division at the Atlanta Grilled Cheese Festival this year.

Tickets are $15 each and include entry, one beer or wine, music and grilled cheese samples all day.

Sponsors include: Brownlee Agency Insurance Solutions, Golden Environmental, Century 21 Smith Branch & Pope, Coldwell Banker (Scott Goodman), Canson Painting (Allan Cason), Pittman and Mims Attorneys at law, Carroll and Kathy Coarsey Farms, Christopher and Christy Dorman, Willis Signs & Graphics, Tiftarea Psychiatric and Counseling Services, LLC, 31 North Capital Partners, Martine Pearce Photography and Rodney and Kristy Daniels.