Officer Michael Burleson samples the food at the 2022 BBQ & Bluegrass Festival and gives it his stamp of approval. The festival is back on Oct. 7.
Planning has already begun for the 12th Spruce Pine BBQ & Bluegrass Festival, set for Oct. 7 from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Riverside Park in Spruce Pine.
Adults get in for $5 each and kids 12 and under are free. The event features live entertainment, food and craft vendors and activities for kids.
Tickets can be purchased at the festival. All attendees need to bring beyond admission money is an appetite for ribs, barbecue and other hot eats.
The event will feature live music performed by regional musicians. Jody and Mark will kick off the music from 10 a.m. to noon and will be followed by Scott McKinney (12-2 p.m.), Barrett Davis (2-4 p.m.) and Randy Flack (4-6 p.m.).
In the case of inclement weather, the festival will move to Saturday, Oct. 14 at the same time.
The Spruce Pine Rotary Club hosts the annual event. All proceeds benefit the club’s charitable efforts and local scholarships, which run through the Spruce Pine Rotary Foundation, a non-profit charitable organization.
Past projects made possible by fundraising include the construction of the playground in Riverside, a storage shed for the Mitchell Giving Gardens and a freezer for a local food bank.
The Rotary Club of Spruce Pine has also previously supported the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust, the Seventh Grade Four Way Essay Contest in Mitchell County schools, Imagination Library, Mitchell County SafePlace Kennel project, Mitchell High School Seniors of the Month, RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership camp) for rising MHS seniors, Shepherd’s Staff Food Pantry and the Rise Against Hunger Project.
For more festival info, visit sprucepinebbqbluegrass.org.