11 Best Peanut Festivals in the US in 2024
Though often associated with school lunches and circus snacks, the humble peanut has earned its place in the spotlight at peanut festivals across the U.S. What might seem like a surprising focus for celebration is actually a testament to the peanut’s versatility and cultural significance.
So, where can you find these lively peanut festivals? Many take place each year across the country, offering everything from cooking competitions to parades and live entertainment. To help you discover the best of the best, we’ve compiled a list of eleven must-visit annual peanut festivals that showcase this beloved staple in all its glory.
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The 11 Best Peanut Festivals in the United States
1. Annual Dublin Peanut Festival, Dublin, NC
Taking place every third Saturday of September for 32 years in the tiny North Carolina town of Dublin, the Annual Dublin Peanut Festival is a proud local tradition. It kicks off with a parade to set the celebratory mood, and after that, you can enjoy peanut delicacies as well as rides, games, a car show, shopping and a scholarship pageant.
It’s also a charitable endeavor: the festival is the brainchild of locals who wanted to capitalize on their town’s status as the peanut capital of North Carolina to raise enough money to build a gym for the local elementary school. Nowadays, festival organizers continue the tradition by donating the proceeds of the festival to various charitable endeavors in the community. Be sure to try the boiled peanuts — they've been a festival specialty since its inception.
Festival Location: 7048 Albert St., Dublin, NC 28332
Month of Festival: September
2. Annual Plains Peanut Festival, Plains, GA
The Plains Peanut Festival features a 5K run, a parade, live music, shopping, train rides, boiled or fried peanuts and, in 2024, a former President. The peanut festival’s 2024 run celebrated the 100th birthday of Plains’ most famous native son, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter — the world’s most famous peanut farmer — with presentations by the White House Communications Agency.
It is a fitting, quirky tribute to Carter, who grew up on a Plains peanut farm. However, there is plenty to enjoy even without the presidential connection. Be sure not to miss the grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Festival Location: 106 Main St., Plains, GA 31780
Month of Festival: September
3. Bluffton Boiled Peanut Festival, Bluffton, SC
The boiled peanut is South Carolina’s state snack, so it’s only natural to throw a party in its honor. Visitors to the Bluffton Boiled Peanut Festival can enjoy a boiled peanut cookoff, a peanut spitting contest, all-you-can-eat boiled peanuts and live fiddle music.
What’s more, Bluffton is home to the world’s largest peanut — not edible, but fun to take a photo with nonetheless. Though it’s a relatively young event, beginning in 2011, it’s nevertheless become a beloved diary date in the community and a great chance to sample a staple local snack.
Festival Location: 70 Boundary St., Bluffton, SC
Month of Festival: September
4. Virginia Peanut Festival, Emporia, VA
Virginia doesn’t play when it comes to peanuts — Virginia Peanut Festival is another of the state’s best peanut-themed offerings. 62 years running, this festival features educational exhibits, a beauty pageant, live music, a car show and food. It opens with a “Kick-Off Kook-Off” featuring every imaginable peanut snack. You might catch the festival’s Mr. Peanut mascot wandering the festival grounds.
Festival Location: 201 S. Main St., Emporia, VA 23847
Month of Festival: September
5. The Brooklet Peanut Festival, Brooklet, GA
Just outside of Savannah, the town of Brooklet celebrates its peanut industry every year with a festival featuring tractor races, live music, a parade and — of course — all the boiled peanuts you can eat. The beloved Brooklet Peanut Festival has been running for 35 years and takes place annually in late September.
Festival Location: Randy Newman Community Center, 206 Railroad St., Statesboro GA 30415
Month of Festival: September
6. Annual Georgia Peanut Festival, Sylvester, GA
Georgia may be best known for growing peaches, but it’s also a major producer of peanuts. In fact, the town of Sylvester is known as the peanut capital of the world. Naturally, that calls for a peanut festival!
The Annual Georgia Peanut Festival honors the town’s peanut industry with two parades (one for humans and one for pets), a beauty pageant, a golf tournament and of course, peanuts. Its claim to fame? Creating the world’s largest peanut butter sandwich, a 2,650-pound behemoth assembled in 1987. Catch the festival at T.C. Jeffords Park on the third Sunday of October every year.
Festival Location: T.C. Jeffords Park, E. Willingham St., Sylvester, GA 31791
Month of Festival: October
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7. Annual Floresville Peanut Festival, Floresville, TX
The annual Floresville Peanut Festival is now in its 80th year! Opened in 1938 to celebrate the peanut harvest, it was the first peanut festival in Texas and continues to honor the importance of peanuts in the local economy. The event opens with the coronation of the festival’s Queen Tunaep (“peanut” in reverse) and her royal court continuing with a parade, live music and vendors.
Roasted peanuts and peanut brittle are some of the most sought-after peanut treats. Be sure not to miss the highlight of the weekend — the Saturday night concert featuring a headlining band. For all of these amusements and more, you can catch the four-day Floresville Peanut Festival the second week of October.
Festival Location: 1420 3rd St., Floresville, TX 78114
Month of Festival: October
8. Whitesboro Annual Peanut Festival, Whitesboro, TX
The Annual Peanut Festival in the town of Whitesboro, Texas has been held on the third Sunday of each October since 1965. According to locals, the idea of a peanut-centric local event came about thanks to the peanut’s role in building downtown Whitesboro, which was bolstered by the businesses started there by local peanut farmers.
These days, parades, children’s activities, a parade, a car show and food vendors are among the things you can expect to enjoy at this free, open-to-the-public annual event. Live entertainment and local crafts also contribute to the vibrant atmosphere, making it a fun-filled celebration for all ages.
Festival Location: Multiple Locations
Month of Festival: October
9. Suffolk's Virginia Peanut Fest, Suffolk, VA
The weekend-long Suffolk’s Virginia Peanut Fest pulls out all the stops: its attractions include concerts, amusement rides, a peanut butter cup race, a motorcycle rally, a golf tournament, all-you-can-eat shrimp, fireworks and a demolition derby — all in honor of the city of Suffolk’s long history of peanut farming.
It has a storied history, dating back to January 1941, and its current iteration began in 1978 as a harvest festival. These days, it attracts roughly 125,000 visitors every year who come to enjoy its amusements and snack on peanut delicacies for one October weekend a year.
Festival Location: Suffolk Executive Airport, 1410 Airport Road, Suffolk, Virginia 23434
Month of Festival: October
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10. Annual City of Aubrey Peanut Festival, Aubrey, TX
Boasting a 38-year history, this annual festival in the city of Aubrey celebrates the peanut every October with kids’ activities, contests in peanut spitting and peanut butter sandwich eating, and even a peanut butter cup relay.
You can also find food and crafts vendors, a photography contest, live music and dining opportunities that put the local specialty in the spotlight. Aubrey residents started the festival in 1986 to pay tribute to an important local industry and have continued the tradition annually ever since.
Festival Location: 107 S. Main St., Aubrey, TX 76227
Month of Festival: October
11. National Peanut Festival, Dothan, AL
Billed as the largest event of its kind in the world, the National Peanut Festival in Dothan, Alabama doesn’t play around when it comes to peanuts. The festival, which is held annually for 10 days in November, dates back to 1938 when it was created to commemorate the crop that saved the local economy after the collapse of the cotton-growing industry it previously relied on.
These days, this food festival has grown so dramatically in scale that it rivals a even the best county fair, featuring concerts, livestock shows, competitions, rides, a demolition derby, the Miss National Peanut Festival beauty pageant and, of course, every peanut-related snack you could imagine (and some you probably couldn’t).
An all-access admission pass for rides, concerts, and attractions is $30. If you're in Alabama, this event is not to be missed.
Festival Location: 5622 US-231, Dothan, AL 36301
Month of Festival: November
Enjoy More Fun Foodie Experiences
You may have noticed these peanut festivals are clustered in the southeastern U.S., and for good reason: that’s simply the best place to grow them! But if you’re not in the area and can’t make it out to any of these festivals, there are tons of fun ways to explore the culinary scene where you’re at. Check out food tours near you to learn about your area’s local specialties and can’t-miss meals from an expert.
Or, if you’d rather take matters into your own hands, cooking classes near you can teach you to prepare new and exciting dishes — maybe even some with peanuts in a starring role! So if a visit to a festival isn’t in your near future, worry not. The charms of peanuts are accessible to all.
In short, peanut festivals are a fun way to enjoy great food and local traditions. From tasty treats to lively entertainment, there's something for everyone. If you love peanuts or just want to experience something new, these festivals are a perfect way to dive in and join the celebration.
For more ways to explore your favorite foods, check out other experiences happening on Cozymeal.
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