7th Annual Bite for the Fight Food Festival

Dozens of regional restaurants. Three nationally known chefs cooking live. Craft cocktail demos, local brews, fine wine, a DJ and a silent auction stacked with Philadelphia-only experiences — all in one room, on one afternoon.

The Fight On Makenna Foundation will host the 7th Annual Bite for the Fight Food Festival on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 12 to 4 p.m. at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center & Fairgrounds in Oaks, Pa. The dine-around style tasting event draws 400+ guests, coincides with National Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, and aims to raise $200,000. The event benefits quality-of-life programs for pediatric cancer patients and their families at CHOP.

The chef lineup

●Chef Brian Duffy — Philadelphia native, founder of the Duffified Experience Group, expert chef on Spike TV’s Bar Rescue, Fan Favorite competitor on Food Network’s BBQ Brawl, and guest judge on Beat Bobby Flay. Duffy returns as chef and emcee.

●Chef Ariane Duarte — Culinary Institute of America graduate, Top Chef and Beat Bobby Flay alum, and a New Jersey native whose style runs bold, direct and unpretentious.

●Chef Kenneth J. McDuffie — Chef, restaurateur and culinary educator known nationally from Season 19 of FOX’s Hell’s Kitchen and Food Network’s Chopped, cooking the soulful flavors he learned from his great-grandmother.

All three will lead live cooking demonstrations and take part in meet-and-greets throughout the afternoon, alongside demos from area chefs and restaurants, as well as craft cocktail sessions with premium distilleries.

On the tasting floor

The Blue Elephant, Sophie’s Sweets, De Ro Premium Cello, Not Pizza It’s a Vodka Drink, Robert Ryan Catering and Design, Bald Birds Brewing Company, Ktor Etair, Ciera’s Sweets, Brick & Blaze Pizza Company, Bucktown Beans, Care Package Bakes, Angies Vietnamese Cuisine, Harvest Seasonal Grill, Dad’s Hat and more!

What the money does

Every dollar raised funds quality-of-life programs for children in treatment and the families sitting beside them — the support services Rich and Michelle Massi of Pottstown found missing during their daughter Makenna’s care at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The couple founded the Fight On Makenna Foundation in her honor in 2018.

“We are gearing up for a record year,” Rich Massi said. “Our goal is to continue to fund programs that make a difference to families and children battling pediatric cancer.”

Media and creator credentials

A limited number of complimentary VIP tent passes are available to accredited media and to food, lifestyle and entertainment content creators covering the Philadelphia region. Passes include entry into the VIP tent, full tasting access, priority seating at the celebrity chef demos, and scheduled interview and content windows with Chefs Duffy, Duarte and McDuffie. To request credentials, contact Jaimi Blackburn at 610.220.3231/jaimiprgirl@gmail.com or Garden Logan at 267.307.0922/ gardenlogan@gmail.com by September 1, 2026.

Tickets

Tickets, sponsorships, and auction access are available now at www.biteforthefight.com. Sponsorship inquiries: Richard Massi, president and co-founder, at bite4thefight@gmail.com or (610) 513-1755.

ABOUT FIGHT ON MAKENNA FOUNDATION: Fight On Makenna Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life of pediatric cancer patients and their families during inpatient and outpatient treatments. The foundation works toward this mission by funding programs and supporting other charitable organizations that strive to help children and families navigate the rigors of cancer treatment. Named for Makenna Ann Massi, the foundation was formed to bring her fighting spirit to those children and families who need it most in their battle against pediatric cancer. Visit www.fightonmakenna.org for more information.

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