Events
Cowpea Festival
Always the second Saturday in September
Join us for the “harvest festival with a funny name” and celebrate agriculture, community and cowpeas! Each year, Charleston-Calhoun-Hiwassee Historical Society hosts the annual International Cowpea Festival & Cook-off presented by Bush Brothers & Company and held in Charleston Park.
Charleston, Tennessee, was once a large grower and exporter of cowpeas and was known as the “Cowpea Capital of the World.” Cowpea is the general name for black-eyed peas, field peas, crowder peas, silver- and purple-hulls, cream peas and many other varieties.
Always the second Saturday in September, the festival is intended to delight residents and attract visitors to our area. Proceeds from the festival support the operations of the Hiwassee River Heritage Center.
The festival centerpiece is a cook-off featuring cowpea recipes created and cooked by professional chefs. A marketplace features handmade arts, crafts and local produce vendors. The event also includes live music, a children’s area, food vendors and a heritage area to share the rich history of the area
We are currently working to secure sponsorships, entertainment and vendors. We have the Cowpea Crew working on the various areas of festival planning and always have room for folks interested in helping or sponsoring the event. Contact Melissa Woody at 423-593-2118, mwoody@clevelandchamber.com or Darlene Goins at 423-413-8284, darlenegoins@bellsouth.net to discuss your interest in this exciting event.
Anywhere, USA, can have a harvest festival, but nowhere in the WORLD has a Cowpea Festival & Cook-off except Charleston, Tennessee! Join us for this unique celebration! You’ll be HAPPEA you did!
