The National Cornbread Festival in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, has been officially canceled after organizers said scheduling conflicts with vendors and other festival participants would result in a sub-par event that isn’t what people expect.
Until 2020, the event was on a 23-year uninterrupted run, cornbread festival spokesperson Amy Rogers said Tuesday, but the coronavirus, delays and conflicting schedules combined to make putting on the festival practically impossible last year.
There will be no 2021 festival either, thanks again to impacts from the pandemic on everyone’s schedules, Rogers said.
Officials initially announced a delay in January, hoping to reschedule the festival for fall, but new hurdles greeted 2021 festival organizers. The shift of some spring festivals across the region to fall caused a short supply of vendors.
“There are a lot of other festivals that are already happening in the fall and lots of things already on fall calendars for folks. It’s a busy time of year,” Rogers said.