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Category: Festivals and Fairs (Page 2 of 7)

Festival hoe cakes are made from the mill's fresh-ground corn.

Mill Springs Mill Annual Cornbread Festival, Monticello KY, May 28th 2016

May 27, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Have you ever eaten a hoe cake (often spelled as one word, hoecake)? It’s an old-time Southern U.S. specialty. Folks from up north, around Rhode Island, may know them better by the name jonnycakes, but yes, they are essentially the same thing: dried flint corn is ground and mixed with boiling water and salt to form a thick batter, from which corn pancakes are made. Some people like to give them some breeding by enriching the batter with things like wheat flour, eggs, and sugar but if you really want to enjoy them at their corn-focused best, stick with the basic version. They are a rugged taste of a rugged time in America’s past. Continue reading

Aebelskivers will be on the menu.

Scandinavian Heritage Festival, Ephraim UT, May 27th and 28th 2016

May 26, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Did you know that about 650,000 Utahns are of Scandinavian descent? Hence the 40th annual Scandinavian Heritage Festival, May 27th and 28th, held in Ephraim, known as Utah’s “Little Denmark.” As if we need a reminder not to rush to snap judgments, it also appears that this Scandinavian festival in the state of Utah offers some prime eating opportunities! Need proof? Continue reading

Jefferson County Watermelon Festival, Monticello FL, June 4th through 18th 2016

May 25, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Hot summers call for cool watermelon! For over half a century the town of Monticello, just east of Tallahassee in northern Florida, has put on an annual celebration of this ultra-refreshing summer fruit. Jefferson County has been a major supplier of fruit and seeds to the rest of the country since the late 1800s. This year’s 66th annual festival begins Saturday, June 4th, with the Watermelon Pageants, and will continue through Saturday the 18th of June. Continue reading

The signature dish of Blessing Weekend: boiled shrimp, potatoes, and (not shown here) corn. Do we spy some sliced hot green pepper scattered among the shrimp for added flavor? Note how the locals like to eat their fresh-caught shrimp with the heads intact!

Biloxi Blessing of the Fleet, Biloxi MS, June 2nd through 5th 2016

May 23, 2016 / / 0 Comments

As in many commercial fishing communities along America’s coastline, the coastal shrimping town of Biloxi, MS practices the tradition of an annual Blessing of the Fleet. Biloxi’s been doing this since 1929 although the history of the local seafood industry extends into the late 1800s. Back then, the seafood processing work, and later the fishing itself, was performed by thousands of Catholic immigrants from Yugoslavia as well as Cajuns from Louisiana.  Today, most of the shrimp boats are owned and operated by Vietnamese immigrants. The blessing, given by the local Catholic priest and bishop, marks the start of the shrimping season in Biloxi. Continue reading

Poke Sallet Festival, Harlan KY, June 2nd through 4th 2016

May 22, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Times have changed! Here’s how we began a story about Harlan’s Poke Sallet Festival a decade ago: “Think you make the best poke sallet in Harlan County? Want to pit yourself against Kentucky’s finest poke sallet cooks? Want to know what poke sallet is? Then attend the Poke Sallet Festival in Harlan, Kentucky this week. . . . Poke sallet meals will be available at Jac’s Coffee Shop, Mary’s Country Store, and the Coal Miners Cafe.” Those days (and those three restaurants) are long one. We see no mention of a poke sallet cooking contest on the festival website either. Today, poke sallet serves as more of a regional mascot than an edible at the festival, which focuses on fun and games and entertainment. Continue reading

Ware Shoals Catfish Feastival, Ware Shoals SC, May 27th and 28th 2016

May 21, 2016 / / 1 Comment

The food page of the festival website proclaims, “Prepared by the Seasoned Chefs of Ware Shoals First Baptist Church” — no way we can resist a line like that! The 36th annual Catfish Feastival in Ware Shoals, SC features fried catfish and catfish stew, as well as fried and barbecued chicken and barbecued ribs. And that’s just what those seasoned Baptist church chefs will be offering. There’ll be other vendors there as well. The Feastival officially begins on Friday, May 27th but you can get a head start on the festivities as the carnival rides will be available Wednesday and Thursday nights. Continue reading

Shad Derby Festival, Windsor CT, May 21st 2016

May 20, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Each year in Windsor, CT (a little bit north of Hartford) shad (the state fish of Connecticut) swim up the Connecticut and Farmington Rivers to lay their eggs in fresh water (similar to salmon). The people of Windsor observe this biological fact with their own annual event, the springtime Shad Derby Festival. The festival is really a series of sponsored events spread throughout the month of May (this year, from the 1st through the 21st). Some of the events that have already taken place include the Fishing Tournament, the Shad Derby Gala, and the Coronation Ball. Continue reading

It's not remarkable to find ribs at a blues festival but only one blues festival features Bob Sykes' glorious ribs.

Live Blues with a Side of World Class BBQ

May 20, 2016 / / 0 Comments

We love outdoor blues festivals, for the music, yes, but also because many of them feature some form of barbecue on the menu as well — barbecue and blues go together like baseball and hot dogs. But very, very few can claim to serve some of the best barbecue in the country. That’s what you’ll find at tomorrow’s (May 21st 2016) Bob Sykes BBQ & Blues Festival in Bessemer, Alabama. Gates open at 11 a.m. and the music kicks off at 12:10 p.m. The forecast says 83 and no rain. Best of all, there’ll be plenty of local Bob Sykes pit-cooked pork. Find all the details here.

Adairville Strawberry Festival, Adairville KY, May 14th through May 21st 2016

May 19, 2016 / / 0 Comments

The 70th annual Strawberry Festival in Adairville, Kentucky began Saturday, and continues through next Saturday (March 21st 2016).  Rides, crafts, and performances by local talent begin today, with live music, crafts, vendors, rides, and the opening of the Strawberry Shoppe (homemade strawberry ice cream, strawberry shortcake!) to follow tomorrow. Continue reading

Cupcake Royale hasn't annouced what they'll be bringing to the Ice Cream Festival but we're hoping to see their exquisite ice cream cookie sandwiches.

Celebrate the Start of Ice Cream Season in Seattle

May 19, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Chipotle Peanut Brittle. Double-Hop Caramel. Vegan Horchata. Durian, made with the fruit, not flavoring. Coffee floats and ice cream macarons. Those are just a few of the dozens of flavors and frozen concoctions you’ll have the opportunity to sample and purchase at Seattle’s first annual Ice Cream Festival, to be held this Sunday, May 22nd, from noon until 5 p.m. Continue reading

Chocolate-covered strawberries are just one of the many strawberry treats available at the festival.

West Virginia Strawberry Festival, Buckhannon WV, May 14th through May 22nd 2016

May 17, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Homemade ice cream and strawberry shortcake, plus homemade old-fashioned sugar cookies, at the Chapel Hill United Methodist Church; strawberry pancakes and sausage at the First United Methodist Church; rib eye steak sandwiches and strawberry shortcake presented by the 4-H on the Episcopal Church lawn; homemade strawberry shortcake offered by the ladies of the local American Legion. Yes, it’s time for the West Virginia Strawberry Festival in Buckhannon, which began Saturday and continues through Sunday, May 22nd. Continue reading

Poke Salat Festival, Arab AL, May 20th and 21st 2016

May 16, 2016 / / 2 Comments

The name of this festival is really for historical significance and atmospherics as you are not likely to find actual poke salat (or sallet) at this or any of the other poke sallet festivals held in Southern communities. What is poke salat? You may know it as pokeweed. It has been treated as a vegetable in the rural South, much more so in the past than today. Only the young leaves are eaten, and they must be boiled well – some say in several changes of water. The plant is considered poisonous, particularly the root, stems, and berries. Continue reading

Jambalaya Festival, Gonzales LA, May 26th through 29th 2016

May 13, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Did you know that Gonzales, Louisiana is the Jambalaya Capital of the World? That’s what they decided to start calling themselves in 1967, the idea being that, along with a brand new Jambalaya Festival, the self-proclaimed title would help make a name for the town. And, you know what? It worked! Continue reading

Mudbug Madness, Shreveport LA, May 26th through 29th 2016

May 12, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Call ’em mudbugs, crawdads, crawfish, or crayfish – doesn’t matter a bit, as long as there’s a steaming red mound of the boiled critters in front of you, preferably accompanied by plenty of ice-cold beer and a zydeco band. Is that how you want to spend your Memorial Day weekend? Then point your car towards northern Louisiana (Shreveport, to be precise) for at the 33rd annual Mudbug Madness. Continue reading

Wrap a Jim's cheesesteak in a slice of Lorenzo's pizza and you've got yourself a Philly Taco!

First Annual Philly Taco Challenge – Not What You Think!

April 25, 2016 / / 0 Comments

This is not a Philadelphia eating contest to see who can eat the most tacos. That wouldn’t even make any sense in The City of Brotherly Love. No, the contest is as follows: who can eat a single Philly Taco the fastest? What’s a Philly Taco? You begin with a cheesesteak from Jim’s Steaks on South Street. Carry it down the street to Lorenzo’s Pizza, where you order one of their giant, pliable slices. Then you roll the cheesesteak in the pizza slice and begin eating! Obviously, this is not a dish born of straight and sober minds. Continue reading

Tending the bear and venison sausage patties for Bradford's Wild Game Supper

60th Annual Wild Game Supper, Bradford VT, November 21st 2015

November 8, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Fall in New England means many things, from leaf-peeping to cider-pressing, but of all the seasonal traditions one of the most intriguing is the old-time wild game supper. These are legally held by local non-profit organizations, usually fish and game clubs, churches, and volunteer fire departments. Perhaps the granddaddy of all these suppers is the one put on in Vermont by the Bradford Congregational Church. Continue reading

Apalachicola oysters are the highlight of the Florida Seafood Festival.

Florida Seafood Festival, Apalachicola FL, November 6th and 7th 2015

November 5, 2015 / / 0 Comments

The fun begins at 10 a.m. on Friday, November 6th, when the booths open at Battery Park in downtown Apalachicola for what is termed “Florida’s Oldest Maritime Event,” the Florida Seafood Festival. If it swims in Florida’s waters you’re likely to find it somewhere in the park, all prepared and served by local non-profit groups. Continue reading

Terlingua International Chili Cook-Off, Terlingua TX, November 4th through 7th 2015

November 2, 2015 / / 0 Comments

The official name of this festival is the 49th Annual Original Terlingua International Frank X. Tolbert – Wick Fowler Championship Chili Cookoff, which is a mouthful and then some! All those words are necessary to distinguish it from another chili cookoff happening in Terlingua the very same weekend: the Terlingua International Chili Championship, spun off from this one in 1983. All this chili brewing began in Terlingua in 1967 when Mr. Fowler, Mr. Tolbert, and others staged the first chili cookoff. That first cookoff ended in a tie between Mr. Fowler and H. Allen Smith. Continue reading

Here's your chance to sample the notorious Krispy Kreme burger.

Greater Gulf State Fair, Mobile AL, October 30th through November 8th 2015

October 27, 2015 / / 0 Comments

What began in 1955 as a civic project by the Mobile Junior Chamber of Commerce has over the decades grown into today’s Greater Gulf State Fair, Alabama’s largest fair (still run by volunteers from the Jaycees). The Greater Gulf, for those unfamiliar with the region, refers to South Alabama, Northwest Florida, and Southeast Mississippi, all, of course, along the Gulf of Mexico. This year’s theme: ““Lions, Tigers, The Fair , Oh My!”. Continue reading

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