Competition in the Cornbread Cook-off Saturday at the Homegrown Cornbread Festival at the Pioneer Museum of Alabama Saturday is heating up.

County cooks are rattling their pots and pans in hopes of taking home the title and a super prize of Lodge Cast Iron cookware.

The top three winners will receive prizes donated by the Lodge Cast Iron Company.

There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the contest and the competition is expected to be friendly but furious, said Kelly Ormond, Pioneer Museum of Alabama education and program coordinator.

“Of course, the Cornbread Cook-off is the big event of the Homegrown Cornbread Festival but we have a whole day of old-time fun planned,” Ormond said.

The gates to the festival will open to the public at 9 a.m. Saturday but the cornbread entries in the competition should be registered by 8:30 a.m. The entry fee is $25.

“The judges will determine the top three finalists and the winners will be announced around 11:30 a.m.,” Ormond said. “The live cook-off will be from 2 until 3 p.m. We’ll have gas stoves available for the cook-off and the cornbread can be fried or baked depending on the three winning recipes. The winners will be announced at 3:30 p.m. and the Cornbread Cook-off Champion will begin his or her one-year reign with fanfare.

The Cornbread Corner will feature the sampling of cornbread entered by local non-profit organizations. Samplers will have an opportunity to vote for the people’s choice recognition.

Musicians will provide background folk music throughout the day and Michael O’Hara and his puppets will entertain on the hour from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

“The puppet show is wonderful entertainment for people of all ages,” Ormond said. “We’ll also have a kids’ zone with lots of games and activities throughout the day.”

Artists and crafters will have their work available for show and sale and there will be pioneer life demonstrations throughout the grounds.

Pioneer Museum of Alabama memberships will be available at the festival.  The memberships make wonderful Christmas and are gifts that keep on giving throughout the year.

Admission to the Homegrown Cornbread Festival is $10. Ages 10 and under are admitted free.