By Nicole Hamel
On the Scene: Billy Berg Mac n’ Cheese Festival
The second full day of spring brought perfect weather for the fifth annual Billy Berg Mac n’ Cheese Festival on Saturday, March 21, at the Wildwood Community Center on Powell Road.
A lively crowd turned out to sample a wide variety of creative mac and cheese dishes while competing vendors vied for top honors.
Judges selected winners for the Big Cheese Award, Judge’s Choice Award and Kid’s Choice Award, while attendees cast votes for the People’s Choice Award. The event was sponsored by the Lady Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.
Eaton’s Beach earned both the Kid’s Choice and Judge’s Choice awards. In the People’s Choice category, The Daily Sun placed third, Cypress Care took second and Eaton’s Beach claimed first. The Big Cheese Award went to IDW.
Beyond the competition, guests enjoyed live music by Marx and explored a variety of vendors, including family-friendly entertainment and adoptable animals from the Humane Society of Sumter County.
Nicole, born and raised in Maine, is an award-winning photographer with more than 15 years of professional experience. After relocating to Kentucky, she began her career photographing military families and volunteering with several organizations, including Operation Homefront (Tennessee/Kentucky Chapter), the American Red Cross, and the Wounded Warriors Project. While living in Hawaii, Nicole worked as a historical photographer, documenting the Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam community and its surrounding areas. In 2015, Nicole settled in Florida and joined Akers Media Group as a freelance photographer.
Through dedication and consistent excellence, she advanced to Chief Photographer. Her contributions earned her MVP of the Year in 2020 and Employee of the Year in 2023, recognizing both her hard work and commitment to her craft. After eight years of working for Akers, she can now add published writer to her list of accomplishments. Outside of her professional work, Nicole enjoys spending time with her two children, Dylan and Olivia. Her interests include underwater photography, crafting, reading, gardening, traveling, and experiencing life firsthand.
