Since 2018, the Tampa Bay Collard Green Festival has been about much more than a single day of celebration. The festival is a community-driven movement rooted in health history and healing that brings people together through food.
The crown jewel for the nonprofit, the namesake Collard Green Festival makes its 2026 return on Saturday, February 14, from 9 am – 4 pm at 2240 9th Avenue South. Activities at the free celebration include live performances, a petting zoo and pony rides, a tasting tent, a fresh collards giveaway, STEM exhibits, a collard cook-off, and much more. Learn more here.
Founded to strengthen families and improve health outcomes, Tampa Bay Collard Green Festival Inc. is a nonprofit organization that meets people where they are and walks alongside them toward better health. By centering culture as both a celebration and a pathway to change, the organization addresses the root causes of poor health and limited access to resources one step at a time.
Collard Greens Festival is food with a mission
The mission of Tampa Bay Collard Green Festival is to promote community wellness by creating programs and experiences that prevent heart disease, support mental well-being, and encourage economic mobility, particularly within Black communities. Through education outreach, the organization inspires healthier habits while strengthening the social and economic fabric of the Tampa Bay region.
Its vision looks toward a future where every family has access to wellness opportunities and cultural pride. It works to reduce long-standing disparities that have impacted generations. This approach focuses on measurable improvements in public health while honoring traditions (such as collard greens) that continue to bring communities together…