With heritage festivals, the state fair, crafts fairs, a powwow and kickoff of Oktoberfest in Helen, Ga., there is literally something for everyone among the 14 festivals this coming week.
* The lowly black-eyed pea reigns supreme in Charleston, Tenn., this weekend when the International Cowpea Festival takes place Saturday, Sept. 10, in Charleston City Park. Cowpeas are better known as crowder peas or black-eyed peas. Billed as “the harvest festival with the funny name,” the Cowpea Festival is a fun way for small-town Charleston to remind folks it was once the cowpea capital of the United States for the large amount of peas grown and shipped from there.
The Fried Green Tomato Festival in Niota, Tenn., features a children’s parade.“This unique festival is a great way to recognize an authentic agri-heritage as well as a protein-rich food that is a big part of our Southern diet,” says Darlene Goins, festival co-chairman.
The highlight of the festival is the Whirlpool Cowpea Cook-off, in which professional chefs will cook their original recipes using a variety of cowpeas from Bush Brothers. Festivalgoers can taste their entries between 2 and 5 p.m. with the purchase of a $5 souvenir spoon, which also allows them to vote on their favorite.
Between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., this street party offers music, storytelling, craft and food vendors, pets and children’s parades before Tayla Lynn, granddaughter of country music legend Loretta Lynn, takes the stage for a free concert from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Bring a folding chair and plan to stay the day.