LIVINGSTON – The Sucarnochee Folklife Festival’s Cornbread Cook-off, the seventh annual cornbread cuisine competition, will make mouths water on Saturday, April 17 in Livingston.

Sponsored by the University of West Alabama’s Center for the Study of the Black Belt, the Cornbread Cook-off features three categories: Best Traditional Cornbread, Best Specialty Cornbread, and Best Original Main Dish Recipe Using Cornbread. All recipes must be prepared with at least one cup of corn meal or one package of cornbread mix, with the entries judged on taste, creativity, and appetizing appearance.

Entries, which will be judged by a panel of local cornbread experts, must be turned in at 9:30 a.m. at the Bored Well adjacent to the Sumter County Courthouse. Judging will take place at 10 a.m. with the winners announced at noon. Registration for each category is $5, with the category winners receiving $25, an official festival T-shirt and bragging rights.

“During the Year of Alabama Small Towns and Downtowns, the Sucarnochee Folklife Festival lets us celebrate the talents of our community and our region in a variety of ways,” said Dr. Tina N. Jones, Center for the Study of the Black Belt executive director. “The Cornbread Cook-off gives locals the chance to showcase their culinary skills by perfecting this Southern staple.”

The Sucarnochee Folklife Festival is a day of family fun, with acclaimed musicians, artists and folk craft demonstrators, storytellers, vendors, and more situated around the Courthouse Square. In addition to the cook-off, the festival also features the Sucarnochee 5K River Run, an antique appraisal fair and a walking ghost tour of Livingston.

Each year, the cook-off showcases a variety of cornbread recipes to tempt the judges’ palates. Whether it is the traditional buttermilk variety or an original recipe, the judges are ready to taste the best these cooks have to offer. For more information about the Cornbread Cook-Off and other Sucarnochee Folklife Festival activities, please call 205-652-3828.