Whoever thought macaroni and cheese would be in such demand?

The Coeur d'Alene Downtown Association's sixth annual Mac & Cheese Festival on Jan. 14 is already sold out. We're talking 2,000 tickets.

Don't lose hope if you want in. There's a waiting list.

"Everyone loves mac and cheese,” said Emily Boyd, the association's executive director, on Friday.

The event's popularity may be due to uniqueness and the simplicity of a food combo that's beloved nationwide for flavor and frugality.

"It's not common to have a downtown mac and cheese festival," Boyd said.

The festival offers mac and cheese dishes prepared by local chefs competing for the Golden Noodle Award.

Attendees can pair dishes and craft beers and vote for their favorites to help award the People’s Choice trophy.

Participants can check in at the Plaza Shops to receive passports to tour participating locations downtown.

Check-in for the lunch session is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dinner session check-in is from 2 to 4 p.m. Serving runs from noon to 6 p.m.

"It makes us very excited to bring 2,000 people downtown during the cold month of January," Boyd said.

She said if people who already bought tickets can't attend, the association will refund their money and offer the tickets to the first on the waiting list.

Info: cdadowntown.com