Several weeks back, South Pittsburg, Tennessee hosted the 28th annual National Cornbread Festival, and once again, we all heard the now-famous call: “It’s cornbread time in Tennessee!”

There’s just something special about small-town festivals that bring back the sweetest memories and create new ones all at once. For us, the National Cornbread Festival in South Pittsburg has been one of those traditions. From our early days as newlyweds to sharing it with kids and now, empty nesters with grands in tow, this festival has been a little thread stitching together memories and fun through the years. This year’s adventure? Well, it came with a churro twist!

Even though we live just across the state line in a tiny northeast Alabama town, South Pittsburg is practically in our backyard, just ten minutes up the road. It’s where both Audley and I graduated high school. Back then, Lodge Cast Iron Manufacturing was just a large foundry across from the school. These days? Lodge takes up an entire city block (maybe more!) and has expanded into gorgeous enamelware alongside their famous cast iron. It’s a southern tradition that’s been around for 129 years!

They’ve also stirred up quite a reputation for creative cornbread cooking.

Now, we haven’t made it to every Cornbread Festival over the years (living in Iowa, Georgia, Kentucky, and South Carolina occasionally kept us away), but we’ve attended at least half of the festivals. I’ve even shared some of those adventures here on the blog before.

One of my favorite parts of the festival is browsing the local artisans and vendors. You can find honey harvested just across the state line, lavender grown right here in north Alabama, delicious pickles from a small family restaurant in Attalla, and beautiful pottery from Tennessee. There’s always something unique and delightful to discover!

Of course, food is at the heart of the Cornbread Festival. It’s mostly southern, mostly fried, and always plenty of cornbread. There are even cornbread cook-offs featuring foodies from around the country, and some young, local talents from our 4H members, too. The competition is fierce, and the judges have their work cut out for them!

This year, I didn’t get to explore quite as much because my Kimball Christian Academy Junior Beta Club had a booth on Cornbread Alley. That’s one of the most popular spots at the festival. Festival-goers buy a ticket and sample nine different cornmeal-based treats prepared by local non-profits. Some bites are sweet, some are savory, and they can be anything from a side dish to a dessert. Monies received from the festival are split between schools, academic extra-curriculars, civic organizations, and other community endeavors. This year, we are putting our funds towards our Jr. Beta trip to National Convention in Orlando.

Fun fact: the recipes used on Cornbread Alley aren’t just pulled together at random. They’re created and taste-tested by members of the festival committee prior to the event, ensuring every booth serves something creative and crowd-pleasing. That’s exactly how our recipe came to be!

Our group from Kimball Christian Academy made a sweet hushpuppy we called the “Churro Pup”; cinnamon sugar-dusted and drizzled with chocolate. I don’t know who originally came up with the recipe, but it was a huge hit! Even Audley, who is a cornbread traditionalist, had to admit it was tasty.

One of my high school classmates (who now lives on the West Coast) suggested I share the recipe, especially since she couldn’t come in, so here it is!

Churro Pups Hush Puppy Cornbread

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg Lodge True Southern Cornbread mix (3 cups)
• 1 egg (or 1/4 cup liquid whole eggs)
• 1 cup Mayfield whole milk
• 1/4 cup cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar

Instructions:

1. Mix wet ingredients together.
2. Add dry ingredients and blend well.
3. Drop by spoonfuls into hot oil (350–375°F). A cookie scoop works perfectly.
4. Fry until golden brown. (They’ll be a little dark thanks to the cinnamon.)
5. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar while still hot.
6. Let cool slightly, then drizzle with chocolate syrup before serving.

Whether you’ve been coming to the festival for years or just love a good cornbread recipe, I hope these Churro Pups bring a little Southern sweetness to your kitchen. Happy cooking, y’all, and maybe I’ll see you next year on Cornbread Alley!