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Bluegrass and Barbecue
Thursday, August 28, 2008
The Post and Courier
EVENTS SCHEDULE
10:30 a.m.: Gates open. 11:15 a.m.: Mechanical bull riding and carnival games begin. Noon: Celebrity dunking booth begins. Noon-12:45 p.m.: Homeboy Reunion performs. 12:45-1:15 p.m.: Intermission 1:15-2 p.m.: Homeboy Reunion performs. 2:45 p.m.: Mechanical bull riding contest. 4-4:45 p.m.: BBQ competition awards. 4:45-5 p.m.: Intermission. 5-6:15 p.m.: Nashville Bluegrass Band 6:15-6:30 p.m.: Intermission 6:30-7:15 p.m.: Ralph Stanley and The Clinch Mountain Boys. 7-7:30 p.m.: Intermission. 7:45-8:30 p.m.: Ralph Stanley and The Clinch Mountain Boys. 8:30 p.m.: Fireworks.
WHAT: The Southern National BBQ Championship & Bluegrass Festival. WHEN: Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. WHERE: Boone Hall Plantation, 1235 Long Point Road, Mount Pleasant. TICKETS: $20 in advance ($22 day of) for adults, $8 ($10) for children ages 6-12, and free for children under age 6. To purchase, go to boonehallplantation.com.
Additional: Parking is free; no coolers allowed. Info: 884-4371 or the Web site.
The odds are, if you like bluegrass music you probably enjoy some good barbecue. There's no doubt organizers of the Southern National BBQ Championship and Bluegrass Festival thought about that when they decided to create this annual get together. This year, Boone Hall Plantation will feature legendary bluegrass icon Ralph Stanley along with his band, The Clinch Mountain Boys. In case you don't know who Stanley is, he was featured in the 2000 film "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," in which he sings the Appalachian dirge "O Death." Rolling Stone magazine hailed the 81-year-old as "one of the premier tenor voices and banjo pickers in bluegrass music history." So, there. That's why he's kind of a big deal. But like we said, this festival isn't all about listening; it's about eating, too. Professional barbecue teams from across the country will converge on the plantation to compete in a cook-off for the chance to win cash and prizes. Locals and amateurs also will show off their talents as well. Here's the important part: There will be free samples of all the different types of barbecue cooked for the competition ready for your consumption needs. That's right, free. Sure it will go fast, but stake out a spot in front of your favorite tent and get your belt buckle loosened for all the good eating. If you want more, buy a big plate of it. Then, wash it all down with sodas or beer, available at one of the many beverage tents. Once you're done wolfing down three plates of barbecue, be sure to hop on the mechanical bull and enter the festival's riding contest. Whoever stays on longest goes home with a flat-screen HDTV — and quite possibly a wicked case of indigestion. Finally, there will be a celebrity dunking booth for those of you who get a kick out of dousing local TV personalities or whoever is crazy enough to agree to do this. A portion of the proceeds will benefit East Cooper Community Outreach. And for those of you with kids, don't sweat it. There is plenty of room for them in the trunk of your car. Just kidding! For the little ones there will be jump castles and several other carnival games. The entire evening will conclude with a fireworks show.
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