National Cornbread Festival

This year on April 27th and 28th, over 25,000 festival-goers from throughout the southeast will gather here to enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of the 23rd Annual National Cornbread Festival (NCF). Located 30 miles west of Chattanooga, TN, this quaint southern town hosts a celebration of cornbread, often considered the cornerstone of southern cuisine.

Admission to the NCF is $7 (Preschool & under Free)

One of the highlights of the festival is the National Cornbread Cook-off sponsored by Lodge Cast Iron, Dollywood, Cracker Barrel, Bush’s Beans, Springer Mountain Farms and Martha White. The contest features 10 finalists from throughout the United States. The cook-off is a main dish or entrée contest, with a packet of Martha White Cornmeal and a piece Lodge seasoned cast iron cookware the required tools. The finalists’ recipes are selected by the Cornbread Cook-off committee before the event.

Fans of cornbread will enjoy a wide range of delicious cornmeal creations in Cornbread Alley (admission to Cornbread Alley is $5). From traditional cornbread recipes to Old English Hushpuppies, French War Eagle and Latin American Hominy featuring Bush’s Beans Cornbread, the recipes are lip-smacking good. Next to Cornbread Alley is a food court with vendors selling southern favorites like cotton candy, hotdogs, fried turkey legs, water/soft drinks and much more.

From Cedar Avenue’s 1st Street to 4th Street, five stages, including the historic Princess Theatre, feature over 50 musical acts on Saturday and Sunday. This year join us on Saturday for 5-time #1 hit artists Billy Dean singing “We Just Disagree” and on Sunday for Grammy award and 21 Dove awards winning artist Jason Crabb. Additionally, the streets of the festival are filled with the sounds of country, bluegrass, blues, old-time fiddlers, southern gospel, jazz and rock. Check out www.nationalcornbread.com/music for updates in late March.

Other activities at the NCF include over 70 arts and crafts vendors and a themed children’s corner with games and inflatables.

The NCF features exhibits like antique tractors, blacksmith and glass blowing demonstrations, plus a huge carnival. Other attractions are a classic car cruise-in, an Elvis themed quilt exhibition, tours of historic South Pittsburg, a 5K road race and spin the giveaway wheel sponsored by Martha White, producer of high-quality flour and cornmeal since 1899.

Sunday’s schedule includes an ecumenical service and pancake breakfast as well as the other events featured on Saturday.

If attendees are courageous, they can compete in cornbread eating contests, buttermilk chugging races or a frozen t-shirt contest.

Be sure to tour the Lodge Cast Iron Cookware foundry; the company is the oldest family-owned cookware company in the U.S.

As the festival closes get one year closer to its 25^th anniversary of producing an ever-popular festival, it’s no wonder the NCF has been selected as one of the ‘Top 100 Events’ in North America by the American Bus Association as well as Taste of the South Magazine’s ‘List of 9 Things You Must Do’.