Or BBQ and Blues, which I think is a better name actually. Friday night our home group met Uptown Greenwood to take in the festivities. I can't accurately describe this event. BBQ "teams" come from all around the country to compete in a cookoff in various categories. Apparently if you are into it, there is quite a circuit, and our local event is "sanctioned" by some Kansas City BBQ group and this festival is part of their official "tour." What all that means, I can't imagine.
Anyway, what the 11 of us experienced was kind of like a huge tailgate, with trailer, tents, and cookers all in the streets and parking lots, with banners flying and all manner of foodstuffs frying. Yes, we are in the South, where 60% of the population is obese, or at least overweight.
It seemed like there were about 50 "teams" but I could be WAY off on that either way. The smoke and smell obscured my ability to take in the whole festival. The weather was as pleasant as we could have hoped for this time of year, but that was because it was overcast, and we had a thunderstorm at 8:30 that drove our group into our cars and off to Red Lobster. Yes, most of us had already eaten BBQ, but we just ate again.
I saw the stage area and heard a bit of the live music, but didn't really get into that part of the festival. There was also an arts & crafts fair on the other side of Main Street (the widest in the world, by the way) but we didn't get over there. We didn't get back up there Saturday between 11 & 6, but I heard it was PACKED and HOT.
Oh, also there was a disgusting contest won by a 303 lb "professional eater" from Atlanta who consumed something like 25 hot dogs in record time. Or something. I'm not sure I've eaten 25 hot dogs total in my whole life. And see, not all obese people are in South Carolina.
Still, it was nice to have a well attended event in town to entertain the folks. Not QUITE as redneck as the Catfish Feastival in Ware Shoals on Memorial Day, but some good people watching was available for the patient. Sorry, no photos.
