International Biscuit Festival
The first festival was held on June 4–5, 2010, attracting over 5,000 attendees.[1][2][3] The 2011 event was held Memorial Day weekend, with attendance estimated at between 15,000 and 20,000.[4] The event consists of a number of biscuit-related activities, special meals and entertainment.The activities include a buffet breakfast featuring a variety of biscuits created by East Tennessee restaurants and caterers, a vendor area with businesses selling biscuit-compatible foods, kitchenware, cookbooks, and artwork, a tasting area with participating restaurants offering samples of signature biscuits, a live baking competition in multiple biscuit categories, a fine dining event presented by Blackberry Farm, and a tongue in cheek pageant with contestants demonstrating poise, fashion and talent.[citation needed] In 2011, the event added a charitable component to benefit Share Our Strength and Second Harvest.