Cornbread & Moonshine Festival 2024

Cornbread & Moonshine Festival 2024

05/04/2024 · Granville, Tennessee

The Cornbread & Moonshine Festival in Historic Granville is a small-town classic with big energy. The drive in sets the tone—ten winding miles that land you in a main street lined with history, live music, and friendly faces. We walked the strip first, then settled into the tasting area and, after roughly thirty mini pours, realized we’d spent three hours talking with distillers and swapping notes. We missed the Pioneer Village and Cornbread Contest this time, but we’ll be back.

Big Beard and Still Will at a moonshine history display in Historic Granville during the Cornbread & Moonshine Festival.
Starting the day with a pass through Granville’s moonshine history displays.
Main Street in Historic Granville during the Cornbread & Moonshine Festival with visitors, tents, and storefronts.
Main Street: music, food, makers, and steady foot traffic all day.

The festival puts the town’s museums and exhibits within easy walking distance—vintage decanters, classic TV memorabilia, and plenty of local history. Then we turned the corner into the tasting section and the rest of the afternoon wrote itself. Fifteen distilleries were pouring samples; every booth we hit had something worth talking about, and everyone was generous with time and answers.

Pam Sutton with Ole Smoky at the Cornbread & Moonshine Festival, smiling with attendees.
Pam Sutton with Ole Smoky—always gracious and welcoming.
Moonshiner Chad Hunt of Roaring River Distillery talks with festivalgoers at the tasting area.
Moonshiner Chad Hunt (Roaring River Distillery) taking a minute to answer questions between pours.

We asked about licensing steps in Tennessee, distribution headaches, and flavor development—straight, simple questions and clear answers. It’s hard to beat that kind of access in one place. We also took time to walk the broader event: sweets, shaved ice, BBQ, and a long list of vendors. Clean grounds, steady trash stations, and a family-friendly crowd from start to finish.

Exhibit about Hop T. Lee and early Tennessee sour mash history on display in Granville.
Hop T. Lee’s story—worth reading if you care about early Tennessee sour mash history.
Leiper’s Fork Distillery booth with bottles and tasting setup at the festival.
Leiper’s Fork was one of fifteen distilleries pouring and talking shop.

Granville earns a spot on our annual list. It’s welcoming, organized, and packed with things to do—whether you’re there for the tastings, the museums, or just a walk back through a different era.

Also in Attendance

Vendors and local participants we didn’t cover above included The Better Butter Cookie Company and Kona Ice of Granville & Franklin Counties. Big thanks to the Historic Granville volunteers and festival staff who kept everything moving smoothly.

👕 Worn at This Event

Malt Whiskey Moonshine tee worn by Big Beard at the Cornbread & Moonshine Festival in Granville.

“Malt Whiskey Moonshine” Tee
worn by Big Beard

Keg Still Mafia tee worn by Still Will at the Cornbread & Moonshine Festival in Granville.

“Keg Still Mafia” Tee
worn by Still Will

Event took place May 4, 2024 in Granville, Tennessee. Original Facebook coverage for this trip was first posted on May 8, 2024. Extra photos and community comments are available on Facebook: View the original post.

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