2023 Mush, Music & Mutts: NC's Official Fall Liver Mush Festival

About the event

Join us for the 2023 Mush, Music & Mutts Festival - North Carolina’s Official Fall Liver Mush Festival on Saturday, October 21st in beautiful Uptown Shelby! Our 2023 Music Headliner is Dirty Grass Soul, presented by Walker Woodworking! Catch them on the Main Stage at 2:30 pm. Recognized in regional and national media including Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods, this festival celebrates the unique regional delicacy and local food staple known as liver mush. Festival highlights include a liver mush eating contest, recipe contest and cookoff, live music, and more than 80 craft, food, and beverage vendors. Featured partner RollOver Pets presents the "Mutts" portion with a pet costume contest and parade, K9 demo and trick shows, musical sit contests, and more! Enjoy freshly prepared liver mush sandwiches and dishes proudly served by local producers of this well-loved "delicacy"! Free to attend, pets welcome, and fun for the whole family! Proudly featured partners and sponsors include: Albemarle - Main Stage Presenting Sponsor Walker Woodworking - Headliner Sponsor featuring Dirty Grass Soul Allison Golf Cars Boiling Springs TDA Carolina Luxury Transport Cleveland County Chamber Cleveland County Health Department Cleveland Community College City of Shelby Cornerstone Dental Associates Dover YMCA Earl Scruggs Center Frank C. Corriher Beef and Sausage Foothills Farmers' Market Gragg Financial Greenbrook Design Mack's Liver Mush North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources HomeTrust Bank Parker Family Feed Co. Planet Fitness PSU - Personnel Services Unlimited Rollover Pets Shelby Central United Methodist Church The Banker's House Uptown Shelby Association

Dates

Oct 21, 2023 · 8:30 AM - Oct 21, 2023 · 4:30 PM(GMT-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)

The event has ended

Location

North Carolina, United States

118 S. Washington Street, Shelby, North Carolina 28150, United States

Directions

Parking instructions

The festival is held in the heart of Uptown Shelby. For general mapping, map to 118 S. Washington Street – you won’t be able to drive to that spot as it is within the festival area but once near the festival, you will see various places to park or you can ride a shuttle. Free Parking is available around Uptown Shelby. Some of these are in areas beyond the boundary of the festival so please follow all traffic and pedestrian safety signals. Accessible Parking - Vehicles must display either a NC DMV-issued disability placard or license plate to enter and park. Cars without this may be towed. Accessible parking is available on a first come first serve basis at : ACCESSIBLE PARKING ONLY: HomeTrust Bank – 224 E. Warren Street located on the corner of Dekalb and Warren St, right at the edge of the festival. Wells Fargo Bank – 231 S. Washington St located at the corner of Washington and Graham Street. Enter the lot on Graham Street. PLEASE NOTE: There are businesses that state their parking is for their guests only... unless it says festival parking, we recommend you not park there. Some of those businesses will have your car towed.

Health & safety

We are planning for an in-person event and will follow and apply any COVID protocols recommended by public health officials in our area at the time of the event.

Event highlights

Live Music

Live music all day on stage and around the SQUARE! 

Main Stage:
9:00 AM: JAVA Band
11:00 AM: Larry & Joe
1:00 PM: ShadowGrass
2:30 PM: Dirty Grass Soul, presented by Walker Woodworking!

Carolina Harmony Trail Stage:
9:30 AM: The Dancing Fleas
11:30 AM: The Biscuit Eaters
12:45 PM: Muddy Boots
1:45 PM: PacJAM Ramblers

Bring your chairs and hang out with us all day! The Liver Mush Festival is free to attend, pets are welcome, and there's fun for the whole family.

Liver Mush Sandwiches

Local liver mush producers will be represented at the 2023 festival, selling hot sandwiches.  Lines get long, but we hear over and over that it's worth the wait to get that hot, fresh liver mush on a soft bun.  Several food vendors and local restaurants will offer a variety of liver mush options as well!

2023 Liver Mush Producers On-Site:
Mack's Liver Mush & Meats
Frank Corriher's, represented by Shelby Rotary Club

2023 Vendors with Mush:
Archie Boy's BBQ
Crossroads Culinary
Hiddenspring Farm
Main Street Sweets
Roman's Dogs & Treats

Pet Costume Contest, Parade & Performances

Featured partner RollOver Pets presents the "Mutts" portion with a pet costume contest and parade, K9 demo and trick shows, musical sit contests and more! Well-behaved, leashed pets with proof of Rabies vaccine are invited to attend.

Pet Festival Details:
30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Paw Painting
30 a.m. - Dynamo Dogs
30 a.m. - Pet Parade
00 a.m. - Costume Contest
00 p.m. Dynamo Dogs
00 p.m. - Costume Contest Award Ceremony
30 - 2:00 p.m. - Musical Sit
30 - 3:00 p.m. - Shelby K9 Demo
00 p.m. - Dynamo Dogs

Liver Mush Eating Contest

How brave are you? Have a big appetite?  Like cold, hard...cash? Participate in the annual Liver Mush Eating Contest. Top winner receives cash prize.  It's served in the package..cold...and part of the timing requires getting into the package/s you consume!  Condiments provided. (Liver Mush is fully cooked and safe to consume straight from the package...though most  prefer to eat it served hot and crispy!)

Photo Credit: Brittany Randolph, Shelby Star

Liver Mush Cookoff & Recipe Contest

Submit your entry now until 10/12: https://bit.ly/2023-mush-recipe-contest

How many ways can Liver Mush be enjoyed?  Many people like it split and dropped (cut thin and deep fried), but there are many ways to enjoy. In the annual recipe contest, there have been pizzas, enchiladas, salads, lasagna, waffles and more!  Top winners have received cash prizes and matching donations to a designated non-profit.

Kids Parade

Led by the Dancing Fleas, all kids and 'kids at heart' are welcome to join the Kids Parade starting at the Carolina Harmony Trail stage. Line up will begin around 10:30 and costumes are welcome!

Little Miss/Mister Liver Mush Pageant - Postponed until 2024

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The Little Miss/Mister Liver Mush Pageant will not be held in 2023.  

The Owner/Presenter of the pageant that partners to present the Little Miss/Mister Liver Mush Pageant has contacted the Liver Mush Festival team about this tough decision.  She hopes to be able to present it again in 2024.  Please stay tuned.

Schedule

List Day