Collard greens lovers everywhere! Get out your favorite recipes and get ready for the 10th annual Collard Greens Cultural Festival, Saturday, July 26, 2008 from 12 noon to 7:00 PM. Come out and bring the whole family because there's something for everyone! Relax to sounds of smooth, soothing Jazz, or the down home, guitar thumping rhythm of the Blues. Get your groove on with some serious Funk, or rejuvenate your spirit with soul-stirring Gospel. If that's not enough to intice you, take a look at what events we've cooked up this year. For all of you seasoned chefs, greens experts, vendors, potential sponsors, and advertisers, click here to sign up for this year's festival.

        The Festival celebrates collard greens because collard, mustard and turnip greens were one of the basic foods that historically sustained African Americans as a people. Collards spread from Africa to Europe centuries ago and were brought to North America by slaves. Forced to create meals from leftovers, slaves created the famous southern greens. One-pot meals also represent a traditional method of food preparation, which is linked directly back to West Africa. They have been popular ever since in the American South traditionally prepared by boiling or simmering slowly with a piece of salt pork or ham hock and typically served with freshly baked or fried hot water corn bread. Click here to learn about the history of your local Collard Greens Festival! You can also download the 2008 Collard Greens Cultural Festival Flyer.