National Lentil Festival facts for kids

The National Lentil Festival is a super fun yearly event in Pullman, Washington. It celebrates the amazing lentil, a tiny but mighty bean!

Festival Fun

This exciting festival happens every year in Pullman. It's usually the weekend before students go back to Washington State University.

On Friday night, you can enjoy live music and a children's carnival. There's also free lentil chili to try! Many local businesses and craft sellers set up booths.

Saturday is packed with even more activities. You can watch fun contests and the famous Lentil Cook-Off. There are lots of art and business vendors to explore. Don't miss the big parade and a tasty lentil pancake feed for breakfast. If you like to be active, join the Tase T. Lentil 5K Fun Run/Walk. There's a special food court with many yummy lentil dishes. Plus, a large kids' area has lots of games and activities for families.

Lentil Cook-Off

One of the most popular events is the 'Legendary Lentil Cook Off'. Chefs compete to make the best lentil dishes. This contest is supported by the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council. This group helps farmers who grow peas, lentils, and chickpeas.

Festival History

The very first National Lentil Festival was held in 1989. The main goals were to bring visitors to the Palouse area and to celebrate local crops. At that time, almost all lentils grown in the United States came from the Palouse region. About 4,000 people came to the first festival.

The festival happens every year, except for 2020. It was put on hold that year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It returned in 2021.

The Pullman Chamber of Commerce and a special committee help organize the festival. Many volunteers also give their time to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Today, the Palouse region still grows a lot of lentils. In 2017, it grew about 18% of all lentils in the US.