Last updated: April 18, 2026
- Location: Downtown South Pittsburg
- Held since: 1997
- When: Last full weekend in April, annually
- Co-sponsors: Lodge Cast Iron and Martha White
The National Cornbread Festival is held each year in downtown South Pittsburg on the last full weekend of April. It has been running since 1997.
Why here
South Pittsburg is the home of Lodge Cast Iron, and a cast-iron skillet is the traditional vessel for good Southern cornbread. The festival grew naturally out of that pairing: the Lodge foundry is central to the town, and the skillet is central to the cornbread tradition.
Highlights
- Lodge Cast Iron Cornbread Cook-Off, a national competition in which home cooks prepare original cornbread recipes in Lodge skillets.
- Lodge foundry tours, the foundry opens to the public during the festival, a rare opportunity since it is otherwise closed to visitors.
- Lodge Museum of Cast Iron, home of the world's largest cast-iron skillet, at 14,360 pounds.
- Arts, crafts, music, a carnival, and street food.
Related
About Lodge Cast Iron →
About South Pittsburg →