Food Festivals in Tennessee

Great food comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and locations in Tennessee with numerous festivals and culinary events held throughout the state. If you love barbecue then Tennessee is the place to be from the famous month long Memphis in May festival to the Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbecue held every October.

For a true taste of Tennessee and to sample some local homegrown food fairs visit Grainger County Tomato Festival or the White Bluff Apple Butter Festival. And what better way to quench your thirst and toast these local events with Tennessee’s wineries and distilleries where you can sample locally brewed beers.

Memphis in May – Memphis, May

If you love great barbecue and great fun then you have to visit Memphis in May International Festival. This month long festival, which honours a different country each year, includes the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest and the Great American River Run.

The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest

The city’s biggest barbecue party is at Liberty Park, Memphis. The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest (WCBCC) is the largest pork barbecue contest in the world and was featured in the nationally broadcast finale of BBQ USA on the Food Network. It's a four-day competition held in Memphis with teams representing the best of barbecue that have been honing their craft for years to compete for the title of World Champion. The Contest features championship pork categories of Ribs, Shoulder and Whole Hog, as well as the ancillary competitions of Hot Wings, Sauce and “Anything But Pork.”

Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbecue – Lynchburg, October

The good people of Lynchburg have joined the Jack Daniels Distillery to host the annual Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue every October in what many have called the most prestigious barbecue competition in the world. New to Tennessee is the Jack and George Trail where you can learn more about the local distilleries.

Grainger County Tomato Festival – Rutledge, July

In East Tennessee every July there is a celebration of the county’s most famous crop at the Grainger County Tomato Festival. This three-day event includes Civil War encampment, arts & crafts, tomato wars, fun run; as well as entertainment on three stages.

White Bluff Apple Butter Festival – White Bluff, October

This annual celebration of some of the finest apple crop Southeast Tennessee has to offer will take you back in time in White Bluff, Tennessee. You will experience the old-fashioned way to churn butter, enjoy the art of a blacksmith then tuck into homemade candy apples while listening to some of the best bluegrass and gospel music Tennessee has to offer.

Wineries, Breweries and Whiskey in Tennessee 

Many people associate Jack Daniels Distillery to Tennessee but you may also be surprised to learn that Tennessee is also home to some award winning wineries, some pretty good beers are also brewed at a variety of microbreweries plus the Tennessee Whiskey Trail.

And if you're hungry for more, here's some extra tasty food festivals:

• World's Biggest Fish Fry - Paris, April
• National Cornbread Festival - South Pittsburgh, April
• West Tennessee Strawberry Festival - Humboldt, May
• International Biscuit Festival - Knoxville, May
• Tomato Art Fest - Nashville, August
• Music City Food + Wine Festival - Nashville, September
• National Banana Pudding Festival - Centreville, October
• Unicoi County Apple Festival - Erwin, October
• Grains & Grits Festival - Townsend, November