Photo TR: Smoke on the Falls

[Brandy524]

Okay, so I had higher hopes for the barbecue festival than I had for the chocolate festival. I was mistaken. Yes, there was barbecue everywhere, but not available to the public. Huh? It was all for competition. They had one pavilion where you got a free sandwich, which wasn't even a good barbecue sandwich. So we spent $20 for myself and Danny to get in (the kids were free), and we got one sandwich each and one round of mini golf. The whole "festival" was just walking around watching people cook barbecue for the competition later that afternoon. We were expecting the different entrants to have samples or something, but nope. Totally not worth $20, and we won't be going back next year. I think I'm giving up on Gadsden's food related festivals in the future.

 

We saved our free golf round and went back on Sunday and played, so I'll do a part two for those pictures.

Heading across the park. We had to park on the opposite end from the actual festivities.

The sun was out in full force. For some reason we skipped right over spring and went straight from winter to summer.

Black Creek.

Don't do it, Noccalula!!

Blurry wristband.

Sign.

There was a "Professionals" section and a "Backyard Griller" section.

I just took pictures of random areas. Nothing really exciting.

It was mostly just people sitting around cooking or doing nothing at all.

Kids area. We didn't stay long enough for the girls to play. We made one round and checked everything out then left.

For some reason I found this sign amusing.

Heading into the Backyard Grillers section.

This one was humorous.

Not sure if I'd want to eat anything from a place called Filthy Pigs.

You know you're in Alabama when someone turns Hank into a hog.

This team was my sister-in-law's sister and husband. Danny said their team name made his butt pucker.

Band.

Apparently this is who was playing.

 

And that ends the barbecue part of the report. I'll post the mini golf later.

[printersdevil78]

Yep, that's the extent of most barbecue festivals, though usually there are a few more commercial barbecue vendors. I'm a judge each year at the Kansas City Barbeque Society's annual Pork in the Park festival in Maryland, which is coming up in just five days! The not-for-profit group I work with has been in charge of beer sales since the beginning, and it's by far our biggest fundraiser of the year. Last year the festival grew to become the second largest KCBS competition in the world! This year they have all kinds of national sponsors coming in, including Kinsgsford Charcoal.

 

Being a judge at these types of competitions is definitely where the action is. As my friend and fellow judge Travis likes to put it, "It's where the best barbecue chefs on the East Coast come to cook their best barbecue, and then serve you the best of that best." If the festival in your town is an annual thing, I highly recommend looking into becoming certified. There are classes all over the country (though there is a fee to take the certification class, then you have to pay annual dues to maintain that certification).

[Brandy524]

Okay, Part II: Mini Golf. We came back the next day to use our golf passes and my sister-in-law and our nieces came and played golf with us. It was brutally hot. Again, what happened to spring?

 

This is a really nice golf course, although a little boring. It's mostly just fountains and waterfalls. Well, that's all it is, really. But it's so much nicer than the cheesy golf course we used to have.

 

My kids got tired of playing about halfway through the course. We didn't keep score or anything. Enjoy.

Heading up to the clubhouse.

Blurry golf pass that was attached to our admission bracelets from the day before.

Clubhouse is small, but nice and clean.

Ally ready to play!

Cammy couldn't be still long enough for a picture!

Walking out to the course.

Rules

Hole #1.

Hole #2.

Cammy taking a break.

Danny being himself.

I got a hole in one on #2!

Water.

Cammy taking a break. This became a theme.

More water. There is seriously water everywhere.

I lost track of which pictures were of which holes.

Girls, get off the green! This was heard multiple times throughout the course.

More water.

These are seriously all different fountains, not multiple pictures of the same fountain.

Danny being himself again.

The adults pretty much gave up at this point and just let the kids play. Self-portrait attempt #1. Fail.

Attempt #2, staring directly into the sun. Fail.

'nother fountain.

Attempt #3. Aah, screw it.

They were so ready to be done!

More water.

 

And that's pretty much it! I have a baking TR to do now!

[Brandy524]

My thread got hijacked by a DVD ad!

[Moose]

^The ad seems to be gone??

 

That is really dissapointing about the festival. We have a chowder festival up here where everyone gets samples and votes, I would have suspected the same for something that costs $ to go to.

 

I think self portrait number 2 came out really cute!

[Brandy524]

Yay the ad is gone! Thanks guys!

 

^The ad seems to be gone??

 

That is really dissapointing about the festival. We have a chowder festival up here where everyone gets samples and votes, I would have suspected the same for something that costs $ to go to.

 

I think self portrait number 2 came out really cute!

 

We did expect more for the price. Oh well, lesson learned. And thanks, that attempt was my favorite, too, despite the sun!

[gisco]

We had a rib cook off last year. Everyone that entered made some for the judges and the rest was given away as samples. I think the ticket was $20

[Brandy524]

We had a rib cook off last year. Everyone that entered made some for the judges and the rest was given away as samples. I think the ticket was $20

 

That's what we expected from this thing, but it was nothing like that. We would have loved it had they given out samples!