One of the souvenir T-shirts sold at the National Cornbread Festival proclaims, “Not Your Mama’s Cornbread.” That could easily sum up South Pittsburg, Tenn.’s signature celebration, which lifts a Southern table staple to gourmet heights.
For proof, look no further than the top three dishes in last year’s National Championship Cook-Off: Buffalo Chicken Cornbread With Blue Cheese Salad, Black Olive Cornbread Wedges With Chorizo Tomato Gravy and Cilantro Lime Cornmeal Dumplings in Chorizo Chicken Soup.
Expect the same culinary ingenuity as 10 more finalists vie for the 2010 Cornbread Crown, fashioned from an actual cast-iron skillet. The starting point for these main-dish entrees is a 10-inch skillet from Lodge Manufacturing and a cup of Martha White cornmeal as the primary ingredient. The objective is a nod from the judges, who’ll eat the recipes the 10 cooks will prepare on-site. Their recipes will be made available to home cooks after the festival.
During the festival, Cornbread Alley is the place to go for a taste of the titular treat. Nonprofit organizations will prepare nine sweet and savory recipes, ranging from M&M’s Cornbread Cake to Cracklin’ Cornbread Fritters. A $2 donation gets you a sample of all nine.
Another 30 vendors will supply traditional concessions (everything from funnel cakes to gyros), as well as foods in keeping with the weekend’s theme (cornbread salad, cornbread dumplings and pinto beans with cornbread).
For all you can hold, save room for the cornbread eating contests. Wash down the last crumb at a buttermilk chug and top it off with an ice cream eating contest.
Spend the rest of the weekend listening to music, including headliner Rhonda Vincent & The Rage on Sunday; perusing 60 arts-and-crafts displays, a quilt exhibit and a classic car show; or touring the Lodge Foundry or the town’s historic neighborhoods. Kids can be entertained at a designated children’s area and the carnival midway.
IF YOU GO
* What: National Cornbread Festival.
* When: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday (all times Central).
* Where: 213 S. Cedar Ave., downtown South Pittsburg, Tenn. (take Exit 152 off I-24).
* Admission: $3 per day; free for preschoolers.
* Phone: 423-837-0022.
* Web site: www.nationalcornbread.com.
* Note: No pets.
MAIN EVENTS
Today
7-11 p.m. Opening ceremonies followed by street dance featuring The Neons
9 p.m. Fireworks display
Saturday
9 a.m.-6 p.m. Gates open
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Quilt exhibit by Valley of Praise Church (Light 2)
9:30 and 10:45 a.m. 4-H Cornbread Cook-Off heats (Second Street)
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Bluegrass and old-time music (Jamming Tent)
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tours of historic neighborhoods (sign-ups at Light 3)
10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Lodge foundry tours (204 E. Fifth St.)
1 and 3 p.m. National Championship Cook-Off heats (Second Street)
6-9 p.m. Classic Car Cruise-in (Dixie Freeze, 200 Elm Ave.)
Sunday
7:30-10:30 a.m. Pancake breakfast for Children’s Fund
8-9 a.m. Community worship service (Citizens Park Stage)
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Gates open
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tours of historic neighborhoods (Light 3)
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Quilt exhibit by Valley of Praise Church (Light 2)
10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Lodge Foundry tours (204 E. Fifth St.)
Noon-4 p.m. Bluegrass, old-time and traditional music (Jamming Tent)
1 p.m. Rhonda Vincent & The Rage (Citizens Park Stage)
1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Sequatchie Valley Cornbread Cook-Off heats
ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE
Citizens Park Stage
Saturday
9 a.m. South Pittsburg Academy Singers
10 a.m. Cornbread eating contest and buttermilk chug
10:30 a.m. South Pittsburg Elementary School Chorus
11 a.m. Emma King and the Heart Sets
Noon. Sweet & Lowdown; announcement of 4-H Cook-Off winners
12:30 p.m. Shani Hedden Group
1:30 p.m. Martial Arts Training Institute
2:30 p.m. Carla Jo Carr & the Silver Wings Band
3:30 p.m. Top Notch Tumbling
4:15 p.m. Heart & Soul Dance Studio
5 p.m. Cornbread eating, buttermilk chug and ice cream eating contests; announcement of National Championship Cook-Off winners
5:30 p.m. Sherry and Enterprise
Sunday
8 a.m. Ecumenical church service
9 a.m. Mount Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church Chorus
10 a.m. Back Home
11 a.m. Soul Faith; cornbread eating, buttermilk chug and ice cream eating contests
Noon. Mountain Cove Band
1 p.m. Rhonda Vincent & The Rage
2 p.m. Toby Headrick, Phillip Ownby and Kelby Ferrell
3 p.m. Signal School for Physical Education
3:30 p.m. Corey Layne
4:30 p.m. Cornbread eating, buttermilk chug and ice cream eating contests; announcement of Miss National Cornbread Festival contest winners and Sequatchie Valley Cornbread Cook-Off winners
Gazebo
Saturday
9 a.m. Roy Harper
11 a.m. Eric Dempsey and Kristie Hasting
Noon. Amanda Witt
1 p.m. Chanel Rogers
2 p.m. Hilltoppers of Chattanooga
2:30 p.m. TBA
3 p.m. Paige Case, Marion County Junior Miss
3:30 p.m. Georgia McElroy
4 p.m. John Lathim & Company
Sunday
9 a.m. The New Binkley Brothers
11 a.m. County Line Bluegrass
1 p.m. Alexis Case
2 p.m. Heaven Seekers
3 p.m. Jerry Fordham
Roving entertainment both days
* Antique Jack
* Mountain Cove Band
* Carrie McQueen
* Mayberry Memories, featuring Gomer Pyle and Barney Fife in a cool squad car
CARNIVAL
Opens at 6 tonight and at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $1 each or 22 for $20.
CORNBREAD ALLEY
$2 donation buys samples of all nine varieties
* Mexican Cornbread
* Wooo! Corn Puffs
* Broccoli Cheddar Cornbread
* Raymond’s Jalapeno and Ham Cornbread
* Cornbread Fritter Surprise
* Very Berry Cornbread
* Cracklin’ Cornbread Fritters
* M&M’s Cornbread Cake
* Timberlake Hushpuppies