2012 Arkansas Cornbread Festival!
The inaugural 2011 Arkansas Cornbread Festival attracted 2,600 people to the Bernice Garden and two blocks of South Main Street in downtown Little Rock on Sat., Nov. 5. Mild temperatures, a sunny afternoon, more than 175 vendors, edible treats of all kinds, blues and folk music, activities for all ages, and plentiful cornbread and side dishes combined to triple expected attendance numbers for the festival.
“When we started planning this festival, we hoped for 800 to 1,000 people,” said Anita Davis, organizer of the festival and community advocate for South Main. “We were absolutely thrilled thousands of people from all over the city and the state came to see what makes South Main Street thrive.”
Winners in the 2011 Cornbread Competition are:
- Best Overall Winner (best in show) – Terry Wright, who received $500, an apron, a blue ribbon and a gift basket.
- Best Professional Winner – El Dorado’s Old South Cornbread, who received an invitation to the Fourth Annual New Orleans Roadfood Festival, $100 and a gift basket.
- Best Amateur Winner – Terry Wright, who received $100 and a gift basket.
- Best Professional, Traditional – Old South Cornbread, who received $50 and a t-shirt.
- Best Professional, Non-Traditional – Loblolly Creamery, who received $50 and a t-shirt.
- Best Amateur, Traditional – Terry Wright, who received $50 and a t-shirt.
- Best Amateur, Non-Traditional – Johnny Reep, who received $50 and a t-shirt.
- Best Amateur, Sweet – Ramona Cash, who received $50 and a t-shirt.
“Our sponsors, competitors, vendors, entertainers and volunteers pulled together like nothing I’ve seen before,” Davis said. “Cornbread is a unifier; people from every walk of life love it. Our mission was to promote community, and with all of the people, businesses and organizations that helped make this event a success, I think we achieved it.”
Planning for the 2012 Arkansas Cornbread Festival is underway. For more information, visit http://ARCornbreadFestival.com, like us on Facebook, follow @ARCornbreadFest on Twitter, or contact Liz Sanders, event coordinator, at bernicegarden@gmail.com or call 501-617-2511.
For more information regarding the Cornbread Festival visit the website: http://arcornbreadfestival.com/