Annual BBQ & Bluegrass Festival treats visitors to hot eats, live music
Spruce Pine Police Department officer Michael Burleson gives thumbs up to show his approval of the food at the 11th annual BBQ & Bluegrass Festival on Saturday, Oct. 8.
The smell of barbecue and the sound of bluegrass music drifted through Spruce Pine on Saturday, Oct. 8 during the 11th annual Spruce pine BBQ & Bluegrass Festival hosted by the Rotary Club of Spruce Pine.
The festival started in Riverside Park just after 10 a.m. and ran until after sundown, with folks heading out after 8 p.m.
Hot barbecue was provided by Fire Department BBQ, No. 3 Grill, DeMario’s and Pig & Grits of Burnsville.
There were activities for kids and blacksmith merchandise for sale.
In addition to providing fun for locals, the festival is a crucial fundraising event for the Rotary Club.
“The BBQ Festival is the one major fundraising project each year for the Rotary Club,” said Robin Buchanan, Rotary president. “Proceeds support a number of local projects including scholarships for local students, the Four Way Test Essay contest for seventh-graders and Seniors of the Month.
The club provides two scholarships each year to local students. This past year, the club provided a shed for the Mitchell Giving Gardens and is working to expand the Neighbors Helping Neighbors project of Yancey County into Mitchell County to provide rides to appointments for elderly citizens.
Rotary volunteers staffed the festival and were hard at work before and after the event, cleaning up and tearing down the things they had worked just days before to put up and prepare for guests.
Check the News-Journal Facebook page for additional photos from the event.