It has continued to be rainy and muggy, and most people have already declared themselves “ready for fall.” Whether they are or not, that probably depends on whether we are going to get a winter like last year (mild) or like the year before (frigid). Opinion on these matters differs, especially among the old boys.
The Labor Day Barbecue seemed to be a big success this year, despite the threat of rain. It did sprinkle off and on, but it never rained hard or long during the main part of the event. There’s a book by Raymond Sokolov, “Fading Feast”, written on assignment from the American Museum of Natural History, about public feasts across the United States. As the title implies, these events – municipal clam bakes, salmon roasts and the like – seem to be dying out across America. Let’s hope that the Labor Day Barbecue continues for a long time. It’s one of the few events that draws both the long time residents and the tourists, and every one seems to enjoy it. Perhaps we can even hope to be included in a new edition of the book someday.
The Blue Ridge Blues & BBQ Festival is September 22, from noon until 9:00 PM. It looks like the Sweetwater people are coming back, and it also looks like the event is moving into high gear. Greg Staffins will be cooking his barbecue to benefit Trout Unlimited, and I hear that he’s had a new smoker made in the shape of a trout for the event. If Sam Huff and a few of the other people who cooked last year come back, it should be quite a throwdown. EG Kight is headlining. Other bands include Roger “Hurricane” Wilson, Frankie’s Blues Mission, the Rolling Bones, and Revenge.