Get yourself a mouthful of vigna unguiculata (aka cowpeas) at festival - Sept. 13

photo Grand Ole Opry member and "Hee Haw" star Mike Snider will headline this year's International Cowpea Festival in Charleston, Tenn.

Unless you're a Latin-speaking botanist, you may not know the species "vigna unguiculata." That's OK. The folks around Charleston, Tenn., simply call them cowpeas, and the only mouthful you'll need to worry about Saturday, Sept. 13, is the kind your tongue should taste, not pronounce.

The Bradley County town will be celebrating its third annual International Cowpea Festival and Cook-off, an event rooted in the area's agricultural history. Cowpea is the general name for the crowder pea, black-eyed pea, cream pea, silver hull and related varieties of field peas. Festival organizers say Charleston was once known as the "Cowpea Capital of the United States" because of the large amount of peas grown in the area and shipped to markets far and away.

"This unique festival is a great way to recognize an authentic agriheritage, as well as a protein-rich food that is a big part of our Southern diet," says festival co-chair Darlene Goins, treasurer of the Charleston-Calhoun-Hiwassee Historical Society, in a news release. "Charleston is just full of surprises, and the fact that the small community was a major exporter of this staple on our tables is another interesting chapter in Charleston's story."

The festival cook-off will feature professional chefs preparing recipes using a variety of cowpeas from canning company Bush Brothers. Whirlpool will have five gas ranges on-site for cooking demonstrations in the park. Between 2 and 5 p.m., festivalgoers who purchase a $5 souvenir spoon can taste the culinary creations and vote for their favorite.

IF YOU GO• What: International Cowpea Festival and Cook-off.• When: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13.• Where: Charleston City Park, Worth Street, Charleston, Tenn.• Admission: Free; $5 for souvenir spoon to sample cowpea dishes; additional charges for some children's activities.• Phone: 423-472-6587.• Website: www.cowpeafestival.comDIRECTIONS & PARKINGFrom I-75, take Exit 33 and travel east on Lauderdale Highway to the Highway 11 junction. Turn left on Highway 11. Just past the fire hall and across from the football field, turn right on Worth Street. The park is about a block ahead on the left. Parking is available in designated lots for $5 or free if legally parked on streets surrounding the park.MUSIC SCHEDULE• Noon. Tim Chastain and 8 Days After• 1 p.m. Bob Corley• 2 p.m. Cash Only• 3 p.m. Zach Dylan• 4 p.m. Bad Tattoo• 5 p.m. Collins Brothers Band• 6:30 p.m. Mike Snider

Headlining the entertainment is champion banjo player and humorist Mike Snider. A member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1990, he was also a regular cast member for seven years on the variety show "Hee Haw."

The festival will feature a full range of entertainment throughout the day, including music by regional bands, storytelling, character greetings and a family fun field with games and air toys. Entries in an amateur photography competition focusing on agriculture and landscapes will be on display. A marketplace will offer handmade arts and crafts, fresh produce and booths featuring festival sponsors and heritage information. Food vendors will have favorite concessions available for purchase.

"We have a true history with the cowpea and want to celebrate its place in Southern culture," says Melissa Woody, event co-chair and vice president of the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Proceeds from the event will go toward the development of the Hiwassee River Heritage Center.

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