Road Trips — By Apryl Chapman Thomas on April 7, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Filed under: Festivals, Fairs, and Events, Southern Food, Southern-Byways, Things to See in the South

A Taste of the South: Food Festivals in April

There’s an old saying in the South that goes something along the lines of, “Sleep until you’re hungry and eat until you’re sleepy.”

Whether you’re a fan of ribs, fish, seafood, cornbread or even spinach – you can rest assured there’s a festival somewhere in the region celebrating it. Because if you haven’t figure it out by now, we tend to celebrate our foods in a grand style.

So, if you’re looking to taste-test around the South, here’s a sampling of food festivals going on in April.

Barbecue is one of the sacred topics among Southerners (behind religion, politics and football), everyone has very strong opinions. My take: try to sample barbecue from every part of the South and you can’t go wrong. To get your started, there’s the Capital City Cook-Off in Jefferson City, Mo., on April 17-18, as well as Main Street Barbecue & Bluesfest in Washington on the same weekend. Obviously this weekend is very popular for barbecue and if you find yourself in Enid, Okla., don’t miss Roberts Ranch Smokin’ Red Dirt BBQ. In Livingston, Ala., there’s the Sucarnochee BBQ & Blues Cook-Off (PDF file), on yes April 17-18. In Hampton, Ga., there’s the Simply Southern Jubilee Bluegrass and BBQ Festival at Nash Farm. Grab some ribs and more at Gatlinburg, Tenn.’s Ribfest and Wings on April 23. In Maryland, enjoy some pig at Pork in the Park in Salisbury on April 17-19.
Craving crawfish? Then you are in luck because you can “suck de heads” is various places across the South. For instance, there’s the 4th annual Crawfish Boil on the Bayou in Jefferson, Texas on April 11 and the 17th annual Mississippi Coast Coliseum Crawfish Festival in Biloxi on April 16-19 and 23-26. And I can’t leave out the 18th annual Faunsdale (Ala.) Crawfish Festival.

Spring means seafood and you can enjoy your share (and everyone else’s) at events such as the Volunteer Mobile (Ala.) 6th Annual Shrimp Cook-Off on April 18. The Shrimp & Oyster Festival takes place in Panama City Beach, Fla., on April 10-12. Celebrate the bottom feeders (catfish) during Paris, Tenn.’s World’s Biggest Fish Fry on April 20-26. Over in South Carolina, there’s the Soft Shell Crab Festival in Port Royal on April 18. The Hilton Head Seafood Festival is scheduled for April 25. Charleston is hosting the Blessing of the Fleet & Seafood Festival on April 26.
And that’s not all. Here are some additional food festivals worth visiting. In Alma, Ark., is the 23rd annual Spinach Festival on April 18. The 13th annual National Cornbread Fest takes places in South Pittsburgh, Tenn., on April 25-26. Celebrate one of the staples of the south at the World Grits Festival in Saint George, S.C. on April 17-19. Try buffalo at the 36th annual Buffalo Dinner at the Kentucky Dam Village State Resort in Gilbertsville on April 25. And who doesn’t like chocolate? Indulge during Lewisburg, WVa.’s Chocolate Festival, April 17-18.