The North Columbia Business Association (NCBA)/North Main (NOMA) District has announced the return of the South Carolina Cornbread Festival April 30 from 11 am – 6 pm at 2847 N. Main Street.
The NCBA/NOMA District hosts South Carolina’s only event dedicated to the love of cornbread. Festivities will include live music, cornhole and bingo games, the Cornbread Alley, the Cornbread Cook-Off, the Cornbread Eating Competition, the Corn Muffin Playland, the Little Miss Muffin Pageant, craft vendors, food trucks and exhibitors.
“We are excited for the return of the festival after COVID has changed our community because we are still feeling some of the challenges of the pandemic,” said Sabrina Odom Edwards, Executive Director, NCBA/NOMA. “NOMA waits a little longer for people to get back on their feet and many have, while some still have not, but NCBA decided to bring back the festival to celebrate life and healing because we lost so many businesses and friends due to the pandemic.”
The mission of the South Carolina Cornbread Festival is to provide the North Columbia community the opportunity to be a part of the NCBA/NOMA District’s tradition and cultural pastime that brings people together for a fun-filled family experience.
The South Carolina Cornbread Festival welcomes about 8,000 attendees annually to the City of Columbia and Richland County. The festival proceeds enable the NCBA/NOMA District to market the corridor throughout the Midlands and host events throughout the year showcasing its merchants. The festival is a destination event that attracts attendees from around the region with over half of attendees between the ages of twenty-five and sixty, sixty percent female, forty percent male and eighty-five percent African American.
“It’s time to meet new businesses and create new friendships, but most of all, to celebrate our merchants, community and life; the Cornbread Festival does just that,” said Edwards.
“The South Carolina Cornbread Festival has brought together businesses, communities, the City of Columbia, Richland County and the State of South Carolina for the past eight years to support all small businesses in the Capital City of Columbia. If you bring awareness to one business in the area, it’s a big economic impact on a mom-and-pop business.”
This year’s festival will take place at 2847 N. Main Street in Downtown Columbia in the grassy area in front of the NOMA Community Garden bordered by Anthony Avenue, Drayton and Newman Streets and River Drive. A complete festival map can be found on NOMAColumbia.com.
The South Carolina Cornbread vendor and volunteer applications are open now. If you would like more information on these opportunities, email [email protected] or call 803-404-3602. Vendor applications close April 21.
Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the gate. Advance tickets can be bought online. For more information on the festival, visit NOMAColumbia.com.
