By the Backseat View
Best Spring Festivals in the South
Few places celebrate food quite like the South. From crawfish boils in Louisiana to strawberry festivals in Alabama and legendary BBQ cook-offs, Southern food festivals are a delicious way to experience local culture. In 2026, communities across the region will host vibrant culinary events filled with live music, local chefs, family activities, and some of the best food you’ll ever taste. Whether you’re planning a spring road trip or looking for a unique getaway like a Potato Ball or Banana Puddin trail, these top food festivals in the South should be on every foodie’s bucket list.
Alabama Food Festivals
Since Alabama is home to me, I added a few more festivals for Alabama and Georgia. While the bigger, more famous festivals are here, I included the cobbler and banana pudding festivals since I love those desserts.
34 Annual Seafood Festival & Car Show – Orange Beach, AL
Feb 28, 2026 (10 am to 4 pm)
The Seafood Festival is one of the Gulf Coast’s most popular annual events. Experience a full day of fresh seafood, more than 125 arts and crafts booths, live music, and a large car show benefiting Orange Beach schools. There’s a crawfish and shrimp boil and a Kids’ Zone with thousands in attendance.
I love the beach, so it’s always a good Spring Weekend idea.The Ultimate Guide to Alabama Beaches explores Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Dauphin Island, Fort Morgan, and Perdido Key.
CahabaQue BBQ Cook-Off- Birmingham, AL
April 11, 20226 (12 pm-3 pm)
CahabaQue is a major BBQ competition held at Cahaba Brewing Co. as a breast cancer fundraiser. General admission is $15 (online) to $20 (at the door) for adults. It’s all you can eat BBQ samples with live music. After the BBQ, head 3 minutes up the street to Big Spoon Creamery for some of my favorite ice cream…ever. To finish out the day, let’s go three miles over to Top Golf.
Kymulga Grits Fest- Childersburg, AL
May 2, 2026 (9 am to 2 pm) $1 cash admission
A unique festival at a grist mill focusing on the Southern staple with grits grinding demonstrations, shrimp & grits, and food vendors. You can hike the trails, do gem mining, or enjoy music by the creek. While in town, head over to Majestic Caverns and do a cave tour.
16th Annual Mobile Chocolate Festival
March 7, 2026 $10 Admission
The Chocolate Festival is dedicated entirely to chocolate lovers with vendors, live music, cupcake competitions, and cooking demonstrations. I would love to spend a couple of hours tasting chocolate desserts. Proceeds support the Penelope House for victims of domestic violence.
Pepper Jelly Festival- Thomaston, Alabama
April 25, 2026 (10 am to 3 pm)
A small but charming Alabama Pepper Jelly Festival celebrating homemade pepper jelly and rural Southern food traditions with crafts, a 5K run, music, and cooking. There’s everything from microbrewing to bingo and inflatables.
To complete your day, explore Demopolis and Old Cahawba with dinner in Selma on the riverfront.
Alabama Strawberry Festival- Cullman, Alabama
April 24th-25th, 2026, at Depot Park – free admission
The Alabama Strawberry Festival is one of the biggest spring food festivals in Alabama. Expect fresh strawberry pies, strawberry lemonade, desserts, food trucks, live music, and over 90 craft vendors. The live music features over 17 bands on two stages with Dylan Marlowe. Lastly, there’s a Miss Alabama Strawberry Festival Pageant.
While you are in Cullman, finish your day with a visit to Ava Maria Grotto, shopping on 3rd Street Promenade, or visiting 4D Farm. You could always spend the weekend on Smith Lake.
Baldwin County Strawberry Festival – Loxley, AL
April 11-12, 2026 (9 am to 5 pm)
The 38th Annual Baldwin County Strawberry Festival is one of the most popular festivals on the Gulf Coast. The festival has all the strawberry desserts, craft vendors, carnival rides, a car show, and local food booths. It’s a charity fundraiser to support schools and nonprofits.
West Alabama Food and Wine Festival- Northport, AL
April 19, 2026 (4 pm to 7 pm) $82 admission
The West Alabama Food and Wine Festival showcases local culinary offerings along Main Avenue. Unlimited food tastings from over 30 restaurants and five food trucks to enjoy. Over 10 wine options. There’s also a live music stage. The festival supports the Humane Society and Table of Grace. This is Tuscaloosa, and I have a Travel Guide for a fun weekend. The Ultimate Guide to Tuscaloosa: Best Things to Do, See, and Eat. Have breakfast at the same restaurant as Bear Bryant and explore all the local favorites.
Florida’s Food Festivals
Florida Strawberry Festival- Plant City, Florida
February 26- March 8th in 2026
The Strawberry Festival is one of the largest food festivals in the South, drawing over 600,000 visitors each year. It celebrates Florida’s strawberry harvest with strawberry shortcake, strawberry pizza, and milkshakes. It feels like a state fair with carnival rides, concerts, and exhibits.
Hastings Cabbage, Potato, and Bacon Festival- Hastings, Florida
April 25 – 26, 2026 free admission
A quirky Cabbage, Potato, and Bacon Festival with farm-to-table cooking demos, bacon dishes, and potato specialties. There are tractor races, kid games, and vendors. It’s a fairly new festival, but it celebrates bacon, so I’m in. The Cottage Artisan Market opens daily at 9 a.m., featuring handcrafted goods, specialty foods, and local finds. On Saturday, enjoy the Brunch Tasting Event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by the return of the Hastings Potato Ball from 6–9 p.m., honoring the farming families that shaped the “Potato Capital of Florida,” with a seated dinner by Chef Matt Brown of AsadoLife and Chef Barry Honan of Lotus Noodle Bar. There’s even a Miss Potato Pageant.
I never need an excuse to visit St. Augustine, but if you do, attending a Potato Ball has to be it. Here’s my St. Augustine Travel Guide. Try the Nation’s Oldest City, St. Augustine, to escape crowded beaches. The Top 15 Attractions of St. Augustine Travel Guide explores the forts, pirate museums, beaches, and restaurants.
Georgia Food Festivals
State Banana Pudding Festival of Georgia- Milledgeville, GA
(at Council Farms on 848 Council McCranie Road)
March 28, 2026
The Banana Pudding Festival draws crowds to taste all the versions of banana pudding.
Join the “Puddin Path” tasting to determine who makes the best banana pudding ($10). Then, there’s banana carving, a tractor show with all types of games, and live entertainment. There’s a 5k and a 1-mile Fun Run, along with a Puddin’ Pedal bike race.
Milledgeville, GA, is in the middle of the state, about two hours from Atlanta. It’s a beautiful town with plenty of history. You can tour Georgia’s Old Governor’s Mansion or Milledgeville Historic District to finish out your day.
52 Annual Georgia Blueberry Festival- Alma, GA
June 5 -6, 2026
The Annual Blueberry Festival is held at Goldwasser Park and is packed with fresh berries and blueberry desserts. There’s a messy blueberry pie-eating contest. There’s gem digging, pony rides, train rides, rock climbing, and a child’s mechanical bull. There’s a blueberry pancake breakfast supported by the Alma Lions Club. There are the regular art and craft vendors, live entertainment, games, and food stands to add to the fun.
Alama is 90 minutes from St. Simons Island, so I would plan to spend the rest of the weekend there. St. Simons is one of my favorite places, so I have a weekend guide for you. Unlock ten magical experiences on St. Simons Island. The town was built around ancient oaks dripping with moss, which gives the island an air of mystery and power. St. Simons remains uncrowded with a wide beach, culinary masterpiece meals, and miles of bike trails weaving through storybook cottages.
Taste of Alpharetta- Alpharetta, Georgia
May 14th, 2026 (5 pm to 10 pm)
Taste of Alpharetta is one of the Southeast’s largest “taste of” festivals, where over 60 restaurants serve tasting-size dishes along with live music and cooking demos. There’s a $15 Kid Zone with inflatables. You buy TasteBucks online and scan your QR code on your phone to buy food samples.
Smorgasburg Atlanta
Saturdays in Spring starting March 7th
Smorgasburg Atlanta is a weekly outdoor food festival featuring over 40 local vendors with international and artisanal foods. It’s a huge outdoor market.
Local’s Guide to Atlanta’s 35 attractions for an entertainment-filled week.
Bon Temps Crawfish Festival
May 16th, 2026 (12 pm-9 pm) Tickets that include dinner $25
Bon Temps Crawfish Festival is a celebration with authentic crawfish, beer, live music, and carnival rides. A special delivery of 2,000 pounds of fresh, Louisiana crawfish is headed to Downtown Dublin, GA. Rich Mascaro of Company Supply is ready to serve ’em up fresh, straight from the sidewalk to your table!
Downtown Dublin is closing West Jackson Street and throwing a good ol’ fashion street party with food, beer, music, and good times! As always, find rides, slides, games, and fun for the crawbabies! Music takes center stage.
Dublin is in the middle of Georgia, about two hours from Atlanta.
Macon Cherry Blossom Festival- Macon, Georgia
March 20- 29th, 2026
The Macon Cherry Blossom Festival brings crowds to the spring markets and vendors. It’s known as the pinkest party on earth. Despite its humble beginnings, the festival has become one of the Top 20 Events in the South, Top 50 Events in the U.S., and Top 100 Events in North America. It has grown to a month-long celebration featuring hundreds of events planned to entertain all ages and backgrounds.
March 20 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm is the Opening Ceremony at Carolyn Crayton Park, 115 Willie Smokie Glover Drive, Macon, GA, United States, which kicks off with pig races and a circus. The Cherry Blossom Ball is at 7 pm. The next weekend, the 28th & 29th, has even more food trucks and a bigger market.
Macon is about an hour outside Atlanta.
Glennville Sweet Onion Festival
May 9th, 2026
The 50th Annual Sweet Onion Festival celebrates Georgia’s famous sweet onions with fried onion rings, blooming onions, parades, live entertainment, and local food vendors. The fun-filled day begins with a “Sweet Onion Run” (and walk), followed by a parade right through the downtown festival. All day long, the whole family can enjoy an array of arts and crafts, delightful entertainment at the stage, children’s rides and games, and delectable food. After the festival ends, cool off for a bit, then come back that evening for the famous “Street Dance” with live music at the stage once the sun goes down.
Glennville is about an hour from Savannah to finish out your weekend plans. The Savannah Weekend Getaway Guide is filled with history, culinary delights, and shopping.
Vidalia Onion Festival- Vidalia, GA
April 23-26, 2026,
Tickets are $45 for Ashly McBryde and $25 for the Blue Angels, and different prices for each event.
The Vidalia Onion Festival is one of the most famous food festivals in the South, celebrating Georgia’s sweet Vidalia onions. Events include an onion cooking contest, tastings, parades, and food vendors serving everything from onion rings to onion pie. Ashley McBryde is headlining the concert stage with a dozen other bands. The Blue Angels will have an air show. The Vidalia Onion Festival has been featured on The Food Network and recognized as one of the Five Don’t-Miss Festivals Across the U.S. by MSNBC and a Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Event.
Vidalia is about 90 minutes from Savannah, GA.
Georgia Renaissance Festival- Fairburn, GA
April 11th to May 31st, 2026. Admission costs around $30.
The 41st Georgia Renaissance Festival offers massive turkey legs, artisan cheeses, and medieval-themed food items.
This Spring, the Georgia Renaissance Festival welcomes you to a season of pageantry, performances, and celebration as the village comes alive. Wander the 160 artisan booths, savor hearty feasts with over 300 food choices and enjoy the bold performances.
The festival is a few minutes outside Atlanta.
Georgia Strawberry Festival- Reynolds, GA
April 25, 2026
The Georgia Strawberry Festival is a 27-year tradition with strawberry treats, a strawberry patch, arts and crafts, vendors, and live music. Events include a parade, antique tractor show, strawberry pie eating contest, 5K race, and a Weenie Dog Race. Kids can enjoy the petting zoo, fire truck pull, and games. This year has seen visiting dinosaurs from Prehistoric Nation. Admission is free, so come for an unforgettable day.
Reynolds is in the middle of the state between Columbus and Macon.
Peach Cobbler Festival – Ringgold, GA
Location: 609 Post Oak Road at Willow Tree Farms
April 11th, 2026, from 12 pm to 4 pm
This is the first year for the Peach Cobbler Festival, and I expect a successful turnout. There’s a peach cobbler competition, a bake-off competition, yard games, vendors, and llamas. Come on and let’s get some sweet, peachy goodness.
Ringgold is almost on the Tennessee border outside of Chattanooga. Top Attractions in Chattanooga explores the city with the world’s steepest incline passenger rail line, the world’s longest pedestrian bridge, and one of the best aquariums in the country.
Louisiana Food Festivals
Louisiana Crawfish Festival- Chalmette, Louisiana
March 26 to 29th, 2026
The 50 year tradition of the Louisiana Crawfish Festival is known for music, but the food is legendary, with vendors serving gumbo, crawfish bread, po’boys, and beignets from Louisiana kitchens. The festival is held at the Frederick J Sigur Civic Center, offering a weekend full of Cajun cuisine, live music, carnival rides, arts and crafts, and family entertainment.
South Carolina Food Festivals
Hilton Head Wine & Food Festival- Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
March 20th-28th, 2026
Admission is $80, and you must be over 21 years old
The 41st Hilton Head Wine and Food Festival is a sophisticated coastal event with wine tastings, chef competitions, and Lowcountry cuisine. Charleston also host their version of this festival.
Tennessee Food Festivals
National Cornbread Festival- South Pittsburg, Tennessee
April 25th & 26th 2026
Admission is $12
The 29th Annual National Cornbread Festival is a dream for Southern comfort-food lovers. Highlights include Cornbread Alley tastings, live music, and the National Cornbread Cook-Off. The event is held in the home of Lodge Cast Iron.
South Pittsburg is 30 miles from Chattanooga, so here’s my Chattanooga Travel Guide. Top Attractions in Chattanooga explores the city with the world’s steepest incline passenger rail line, the world’s longest pedestrian bridge, and one of the best aquariums in the country.
World’s Biggest Fish Fry – Paris, TN
April 18th to April 26rd 2026
The 73rd Annual World’s Biggest Fish Fry features over five tons of fried catfish served by local volunteers, along with a parade, car show, and carnival. There’s also a rodeo, catfish racing, and an all-you-can-eat fish-eating tent.
Tennessee Strawberry Festival – Dayton, TN
May 4th to 9th for 2026
The 79th Annual Tennessee Strawberry Festival is a classic small-town festival celebrating strawberry season with food vendors, parades, and live entertainment.
Dayton is about 30 miles outside of Chattanooga.
Until the Next Bite
Southern food festivals offer more than just incredible meals – they bring communities together through music, tradition, and regional flavors that define the culture of the South. From the fresh seafood along the coast to the fish fries and onion festivals, these events capture the spirit of Southern hospitality. If you’re planning a foodie adventure in 2026, adding a few of these festivals to your travel calendar is a delicious way to explore the South one bite at a time.
More Spring Travel Ideas
Thanks for reading my Southern Food Festivals, and here are a few more ideas for Spring. My favorite Spring Break Trips are affordable, short, and uncrowded. Mother’s Day trips are the best gift for more time with your family.
The 15 Best Kept Travel Secrets in Alabama explores caves, beaches, forest, canyons and historical towns for an Alabama Adventure off the beaten path.
The Top 10 Tulip Festivals in the South Travel Guide has everything you need for a weekend getaway.
Georgia hosts some of the best Flower Festivals in the world. The Top 8 Flower Festivals in the Southeast gives award-winning flower filled weekend trips.
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