NATIONAL CORNBREAD FESTIVAL

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Where: 221 S. Cedar Ave., South Pittsburg, Tennessee

When: 6-10 p.m. Friday, April 26; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, April 27; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, April 28 (All times Central)

Admission: $7 per day

For more information: nationalcornbread.com

It takes 350 volunteers, 15 committees and eight months of planning to put on this nationally known event in downtown South Pittsburg.

With just a 30-minute drive on I-24, foodies will find more recipes for cornbread than they ever knew existed. Head first to Cornbread Alley, where a $5 ticket gets you a taste of nine recipes made by Marion County church, school and civic groups. You’ll want to dally in the alley sampling Italian Pesto Fritter, Ellis Island Ham & Cheese, Old English Hushpuppies and Rockin’ Moroccan with Bush Garbanzo Beans and Springer Mountain Farms Chicken.

And all that’s in addition to the numerous community groups selling all types of concession fare in booths lining the road.

The fun kicks off Friday night with a street dance followed by fireworks. Saturday starts with a 5K at 8 a.m. then live music, classic car cruise-in at the Dixie Freeze, tours of Lodge Foundry, shopping more than 50 vendors and cooking demonstrations before singer Billy Dean wraps up the day with a 5 p.m. concert.

Of course the highlight of the festival is the Lodge Cast Iron National Championship Cornbread Cook-off (11 a.m.2:15 p.m. Saturday). But over Saturday and Sunday, Lodge will sponsor seven other cooking demonstrations.

The festival resumes Sunday with a 7:30 a.m. pancake breakfast and community worship service, with more music and foods for sale before gospel singer and Grammy winner Jason Crabb performs at 3 p.m.

Directions: Take I-24 to exit 152, then follow Highway 72 west, past the split to downtown South Pittsburg. Take the second right onto 12th Street.