Kudzu Kapers festival is set for April 19

SPARTANBURG - The Spartanburg Kudzu Coalition is sponsoring its second annual Kudzu Kapers festival on Saturday, April 19, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Magnolia Street Train Depot.

The festival is held to raise awareness of the presence of the kudzu vine in the upstate. Activities at the event aim at informing the public of the problems kudzu causes for the environment, to suggest solutions for eradicating the weed using students and environmentally sound procedures, and to suggest ways it can be used in consumer products.

There will be a new event at Kudzu Kapers - a Cooking with Kudzu Contest. The contest is open to youth organizations for young people in grades six through 12. Entrants must arrive at the train depot no later than 8:45 a.m. to set up. Each group must present at least 100 samples of their dish, which must include part of the kudzu vine, leaf or root. Each booth must be marked with a poster-sized sign for identification. The sign should include the group's name, members' names and grades, and the kudzu dish's name and recipe.

Between 9-9:30 a.m., dishes will be judged based on the group's ability to follow recipe instructions, the use of kudzu, the flavor of the dish, and the appearance of the dish. There will be cash prizes for first and second place dishes. Applications for entry in the contest are due no later than 4 p.m on Friday, April 4, to the Cherokee County Clemson Extension Service.

For more details on the contest and recipe ideas, call Alana Willingham, Cherokee 4-H agent, at 864- 489-3141. For more information on kudzu and the Spartanburg Kudzu Coalition visit www.kokudzu.com.