MEMORABLE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

By Jan Canterbury

Farmerville, LA. … What a great place to spend Memorial Day week-end.  There is a cozy little state park by Lake D’Arbonne that hosted their first annual BBQ festival.  Those of you who didn’t attend should mark your calendars for this event next year.  Horace and his staff (who all wore bright green shirts so they were easily identified) made us feel welcome from the start.  As a matter of fact, they moved a few tents so we wouldn’t have to unhook our trailer.  Nestled in some beautiful trees and parked beside a pavilion where live music played both Friday and Saturday, this wonderful little place is worth a second look.  They hosted a fish fry for the cookers on Friday night and aprons were given to each team.  The State Representative, Mike, even walked around and shook hands when he came to present the cook-off with its LA. State Championship Proclamation.  Thanks to Lynn, Kathy and Angie for working the judging area and congratulations to Tommy Joe Chandler for winning Grand Champion and Toni Maynard for Reserve.

 

Burnet BBQ & Music Fest, Burnet, TX

This is the fifth year that IBCA has sanctioned this event and with 61 teams participating it was a great success.  Colby and his BBQ committee did a great job.  This year the Music Fest was Friday night—the crowd was smaller than expected but everyone had a good time.            

This year the President of the KCBS, Tony Stone, Cookeville, TN. and his partner, George Sasser, Franklin, TN attended this event.  It was the first time that either of them had participated in an IBCA event.  George owns a ranch at Brady and has some of his friends provide a BBQ pit.  They had plenty of questions because of the difference in the rules for the 2 organizations.

Mr. Mayor, as George calls Tony, placed in the wild game category but didn’t place in the main three meats.  They have said that they would like to come and do it again and we hope that they will.

Tony Stone, Jeff Shivers, George Sasser

Lafayette’s Cajun BBQ State Championship

By:  Angie Pruett

Great cook-off with 29 teams participating in this first year event.  It was hosted by the American Red Cross of Acadiana, and I must say that this was one of the best groups I have personally ever worked with at a cook-off.  Each and every volunteer bent over backwards to make sure the cooks were happy and every detail was addressed.  I want to say a special thanks to Jay, Andrew, Tony, Karen, and ALL of the volunteers.  YOU did a GREAT JOB!

Payback to the cooks was very generous and the entry fee was reasonable. Plenty of room for RV’s with water and electricity provided by big generators.  Lots of space to accommodate more cooks.

The Red Cross of Acadiana is dedicated to making this event grow bigger and better each year, so make plans and come out to Lafayette new year.  We definitely will be there.

Sorry, Kathy Ritchie, but you’re not taking this one away from me!  But feel free to come and help out — you would definitely be appreciated.