Happy Saturday! It’s BBQ on the River Time!

It’s a quick visit with you this morning as we prepare for our second visit to the 2022 BBQ On the River this morning. There will be skydiving, live music, BBQ in every form, kid events, shopping tents, and every kind of food imaginable to raise funds for the nonprofits in our community.

Pre Covid, this festival brought in over 50K to shop, eat and share life over a three day event.

This year is like no other.

Instead of a tightly compacted event where walking to pass through was difficult, it has been relocated a bit.

More vendors on the river side of the floodwall and the food moved there to a large expansive parking lot that can accommodate more BBQ competitors, more fundraising tents, and more people.

There’s something a bit different about the sprawling expanse that has been created this year.

It’s like everything after Covid.

It’s different.

Hopefully, people will feel more comfortable with more space. Space away from others…

Our visits to the festival meant other things during the over 25 years of existence.

A dear friend, Ro Morse, began that festival. She engaged my husband to take photographs of the BBQ teams and their whole hog competition every Saturday morning each year.

BBQ Creativity Overload!

He would take those photographs to the Camera Shop to be printed and added into the trophies for that afternoon’s awards ceremony. Every. Year.

As time progressed, and the reins turned over to Susie Coiner, he continued to photograph the festival before taking a break for a few years.

Before Covid caused a change in the BBQ Off the River format, he photographed a few years again.

The magic captured at those festivals remind me of those years when the excitement was palpable.

People watching at its finest.

Folks gathering and celebrating those we hadn’t seen since the last festival.

Favorite foods to look forward to that even if we tried, we couldn’t recreate.

Community fundraising with BBQ at it’s finest.

You will find so many creative ways to enjoy BBQ AND enjoy other foods to raise funds for every nonprofit group possible.

We look forwarded to the chocolate dipped key lime pie on a stick every year.

Some people look forward to that fried ice cream, ribbon fries, BBQ nachos, ribs, and the list is endless.

For the most part those teams competed in whole hog, chickens and pork competitions. Those groups proudly show the sign bearing their awards the next year to lure customers to their tents. It works.

BBQing isn’t for the faint of heart. The heat and sweat every team member contributes for the group they are raising funds for doesn’t go unnoticed. It’s truly brutal, but appreciated.

In the past, each year over a half a million has been raised collectively by the teams. Hoping and praying that this year’s festival supersedes any amount in the past.

Wouldn’t that be glorious for all?

We all navigate to support groups that we believe in from churches, community kitchens, and sports teams to name a few.

The torch has been passed again to a new leadership team with new vision and there are great and new items that prove to be great and surprising.

But, with change, we get new vision, a bit of growing pains.

I’m sure there will be those who love routine, dislike change and will miss the paved roads and packed venue.

Understood. Change is often hard.

And…as you stand in those food lines…realize that the cost of food has risen and so must the festival prices. This is a fundraising event.

No complaints allowed!

What if this year those new changes brought in more for our community? More people in a less compact space and more income to lovingly support all who need it?

Let’s Go!

So, don’t mind me! We are off to experience more of the sights and smells that await us at the riverfront.

And if you are close? I hope you will come, too.

Linger, taste, connect and support something right in the world again.

Even if this time, it’s more Covid style.

Happy Saturday, friends!