Escambia County Alabama Alabama Blueberry Festival
Every June, the small south Alabama city of Brewton throws one of the state’s sweetest festivals. The Alabama Blueberry Festival fills Jennings Park with fresh berries, blueberry ice cream, cobbler, arts and crafts, a car show, live music, and a children’s area — all built around the crop that has grown in the region’s sandy soil for generations.
The festival has been running since the late 1980s, making it one of the oldest food festivals in Alabama, and it has grown into an event that draws around 10,000 visitors. Admission is free, the gates open early, and the day runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For Brewton, the festival is both a celebration of local agriculture and a community homecoming. It is organized by the local chamber of commerce, staffed by volunteers, and anchored by two signature treats: Alabama’s original blueberry ice cream and the festival’s famous blueberry cobbler and crunch.
Alabama’s festival calendar is full of community events rooted in local identity, and the Elmore County Alabama Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival shows how another Alabama town builds a free public celebration around its own landscape and traditions.
Alabama Blueberry Festival: Quick Facts
| Festival | Alabama Blueberry Festival |
| County | Escambia County, Alabama (seat: Brewton) |
| City | Brewton |
| Venue | Jennings Park (Corn Creek Park) |
| Timing | June, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| Admission | Free |
| First held | Late 1980s |
| Attendance | Around 10,000 visitors |
| Organizer | Brewton Chamber of Commerce |
| Highlights | Fresh blueberries, blueberry ice cream, cobbler and crunch, arts and crafts, car show, children’s area, live entertainment |
| Best for | Families, food lovers, and anyone wanting a classic small-town Southern festival |
What the Blueberry Festival Is
The Alabama Blueberry Festival is a one-day, free event held each June in Brewton, the seat of Escambia County in south Alabama. It is staged at Jennings Park, also known as Corn Creek Park, and it runs from early morning until mid-afternoon.
The festival centers on blueberries in every form: fresh berries by the pint, blueberry bushes for sale, festival cookbooks, and the desserts that have made it famous. Around that core, it layers the elements of a classic Southern festival — crafts, cars, music, and food — into a full day for families.
How the Festival Came Together
The festival grew out of the region’s long history of blueberry farming. South Alabama’s sandy soil and warm climate suit the crop, and growers around Brewton have raised blueberries for generations. The festival began in the late 1980s as a way to celebrate that harvest and promote the local product.
A Celebration of Local Agriculture
Like many Alabama food festivals, the event is rooted in a specific agricultural identity. Blueberries gave Brewton something distinctive to celebrate, and the festival turned that into an annual tradition that supports local growers and draws visitors from across the region.
The crop itself is well suited to the area. South Alabama’s sandy, well-drained soil and long growing season make it good blueberry country, and the harvest peaks in late spring and early June — which is why the festival is timed for the middle of the month, when berries are at their best.
The Famous Blueberry Ice Cream
Among the festival’s claims to fame is blueberry ice cream, described as Alabama’s original. Made with local berries, it has become the event’s signature treat, along with cobbler and the crunchy, cobbler-like dessert known as crunch. Visitors come specifically for these, and the lines reflect it.
What makes the desserts distinctive is that they are made with the festival’s own fruit. The berries are a local product, and the ice cream, cobbler, and crunch tie the food directly back to the farms that give the event its name. It is a simple idea, but it is what turns a food festival into a genuine expression of place.
A Growing Tradition
Over the decades the festival has expanded its offerings and its audience. What began as a modest harvest celebration now draws around 10,000 visitors and features dozens of vendors, a car show, live entertainment, and a free children’s section. It has become one of the region’s biggest annual events.
What to Expect at the Festival
Fresh Blueberries and Blueberry Treats
Fresh blueberries are the heart of the festival, sold by the pint and offered alongside blueberry bushes for home growers. The dessert offerings — ice cream, cobbler, and crunch — are the main draw for many visitors, and the festival cookbook lets people take the recipes home.
Arts and Crafts Vendors
Original arts and crafts fill the park, with makers selling handmade goods, decor, and gifts. The vendor lineup is part of what makes the festival a full-day destination rather than a quick stop, and it gives local artisans a valuable outlet.
Because admission is free and the vendor fees are modest, the festival is accessible to small makers who might not otherwise reach a large audience. That mix of local craft and local food is part of what gives the event its handmade, community feel.
Car and Motorcycle Show
An antique and classic car show, along with a motorcycle show, adds a mechanical counterpart to the crafts. Enthusiasts display restored vehicles through the morning, drawing a crowd of their own and giving the festival a broader appeal.
Children’s Area
A free children’s section includes a waterslide, inflatables, and an obstacle course. It is a deliberate choice to keep the festival family-friendly, and on a warm June day the water attractions are especially popular.
Live Entertainment and Food
Live entertainment plays through the day, and a food court serves festival favorites alongside the blueberry specialties. Between the stage, the vendors, and the dessert stands, there is always something to do or eat.
The atmosphere is relaxed and unhurried. Shade trees in the park offer relief from the June sun, and the whole event has the easy, familiar rhythm of a small-town Southern festival where neighbors run into neighbors and nobody is in a hurry.
Planning Your Visit
Getting to Brewton
Brewton is the seat of Escambia County in south Alabama, on US 31 and Alabama 41, roughly an hour north of Pensacola, Florida, and about 80 miles south of Montgomery. Jennings Park is in the city, near the downtown area and the campus of Coastal Alabama Community College.
Parking and Getting Around
With around 10,000 visitors expected, parking fills early. Arrive close to the 8 a.m. opening for the best chance at a nearby space, and expect to walk from surrounding streets as the morning goes on. The park itself is easy to cover on foot.
Because the festival is a single day and the park is in the city, many visitors park once and stay for the full event. Bringing a wagon or tote helps if you plan to buy berries, plants, or crafts, and a refillable water bottle is a good idea on a hot June morning.
Admission and Costs
Admission is free. Bring cash for berries, desserts, crafts, and the food court, since not every vendor takes cards. The children’s area is free, which helps make the festival an affordable family outing.
Weather and What to Wear
June in south Alabama is hot and humid, with daytime highs in the upper 80s or low 90s and a real chance of afternoon thunderstorms. Dress light, bring water and sunscreen, and keep a rain jacket handy. Arriving early also means cooler, more comfortable hours.
Where to Stay
Brewton has a modest selection of lodging, and Pensacola, Florida, about an hour south, offers a much wider range of hotels and a beach to pair with the trip. For a festival day, an early start from either base works well.
A Sample Festival Day
Arrive near the 8 a.m. opening to beat the heat and the parking crunch. Head first for the fresh blueberries and the dessert stands while the lines are short, then walk the arts and crafts booths as the park fills.
Mid-morning is a good time for the car and motorcycle show and the live entertainment. Let the children enjoy the waterslide and inflatables in the warmer part of the day, grab lunch from the food court, and work your way back through the vendors before the festival wraps up at 3 p.m.
If the dessert stands are your priority, buy early and buy enough — the ice cream and cobbler are the first things to sell out on a hot day. Many families make a second pass through the vendors in the afternoon, once the midday heat has eased and the crowds have thinned.
Other Festivals to Compare
South Alabama and the surrounding region host a range of events through the year:
| Brewton Christmas events | Brewton, December — holiday celebrations downtown |
| E.O. Wilson Nature Adventure | Brewton area — outdoor and nature programming |
| Atmore events | Atmore, year-round — community gatherings in Escambia County |
| Pensacola festivals | Pensacola, FL, year-round — larger regional celebrations nearby |
| Monroeville events | Monroeville, year-round — literary and community festivals |
Practical Checklist
- Arrive near 8 a.m. for parking and shorter dessert lines.
- Bring cash for berries, desserts, crafts, and food.
- Pack water, sunscreen, and a rain jacket for June storms.
- Plan for the children’s waterslide and inflatables.
- Try the blueberry ice cream, cobbler, and crunch.
Beyond the Festival
Brewton has more to offer than its festival. The city is known for the E.O. Wilson Nature Adventure, named for the famed biologist and Brewton native, and for the Thomas E. McMillan Museum at Coastal Alabama Community College. A Saturday farmers market and a historic downtown round out a visit.
Brewton’s connection to E.O. Wilson is a point of local pride. The Pulitzer-winning naturalist grew up in the area, and the nature adventure that bears his name encourages the kind of curiosity about the living world he spent his career exploring — a fitting counterpart to a festival built on a local crop.
The surrounding region adds outdoor and cultural draws. Escambia County’s pine woods and waterways suit hunting, fishing, and paddling, and the Florida line is close enough to combine a festival weekend with a trip to Pensacola’s beaches. For a June outing, the combination is hard to beat.
The Significance of the Blueberry Festival
The Alabama Blueberry Festival matters because it keeps a local agricultural story alive in a way people can taste. Blueberries built a small economy around Brewton, and the festival turns that history into ice cream, cobbler, and a shared summer Saturday that the whole community looks forward to.
It also supports the local economy in concrete ways, giving growers and artisans a market, drawing visitors to Brewton, and raising money for community causes through the chamber. In a small city, that combination of celebration and support is exactly what a good festival should do.
Festival Area Map
The festival takes place at Jennings Park (Corn Creek Park) in Brewton, Escambia County.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Alabama Blueberry Festival?
It is held in June, typically from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Confirm the exact date with the Brewton Chamber of Commerce before you travel.
Where is it held?
At Jennings Park, also known as Corn Creek Park, in Brewton, Alabama, in Escambia County.
Is admission free?
Yes. Admission is free, including the children’s area. You pay only for berries, desserts, crafts, and food.
What food is the festival known for?
Blueberry ice cream, described as Alabama’s original, along with blueberry cobbler and crunch. Fresh blueberries and blueberry bushes are also sold.
How many people attend?
Around 10,000 visitors attend the festival, making it one of the larger annual events in the region.
Is it good for children?
Yes. A free children’s area includes a waterslide, inflatables, and an obstacle course, and the live entertainment and food court suit families.
What is Escambia County known for?
Escambia County is a south Alabama county on the Florida line, known for Brewton, its pine forests and waterways, blueberry farming, and its ties to the naturalist E.O. Wilson.
What to Expect From the Next Blueberry Festival
The festival is an annual event and is expected to return to Jennings Park in Brewton each June, organized by the Brewton Chamber of Commerce.
How often is the Blueberry Festival held?
Every year, in June. It has been held since the late 1980s and marked its 40th-plus edition in recent years.
When is the next festival?
The next edition is expected on a June Saturday. Organizers publish the date and vendor details in advance.
Will the schedule change?
The June timing has been consistent, but the date and attractions can change year to year, and heavy rain has occasionally forced a cancellation or revision. Check the current schedule before you go.
Last updated: October 2026
The Alabama Blueberry Festival is a free June tradition in Brewton — fresh berries, blueberry ice cream, cobbler and crunch, crafts, cars, and a children’s area at Jennings Park. Come early, bring cash, and taste why this small south Alabama town has celebrated its blueberries for decades.
