Festivals: Fundraising, Communal Identity, and Holiday Festivals

Food festivals are often held for fundraising designed to benefit various charitable organizations. Rhode Island’s May breakfasts provide an interesting example of this type of festival. The May breakfast dates to 1867, when the Oak Lawn Baptist Church in Cranston initiated it. Held throughout the state during May, which is heritage month, the breakfasts are sponsored by religious and community groups, who serve traditional repasts that include Rhode Island’s traditional johnnycake (always spelled “jonnycake” in South County), made from a variety of hard corn grown only in the region.