If you are anything like most people in this country, then the arrival of spring and summer weather also heralds the return to the barbecue, a staple of the American diet. In fact, this period also becomes home to many different BBQ festivals. These festivals, or competitions, are not for the faint of heart. By the way, check out the average calories for BBQ meals here to see just how much you will eat: https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Calories-Barbecue-Foods-Hot-Dogs-Burgers-Chicken-3172594. Expect to eat thousands of calories, but also to have your taste buds pleasured all day long.
If you have never been to such a festival, you may not know that they usually have a ‘People’s Choice’ element to them as well. What this means is that, on showing your ticket, you will be able to taste lots of different dishes and recipes, made on a variety of barbecues and smokers. Speaking of smokers, you will probably come across a good few dishes cooked on the Bradley 4 Rack Digital Smoker, one of the top performing smokers this year. You can read the full review here: https://electricsmokercenter.com/bradley-4-rack-digital-smoker-review/. Once you get to know this smoker, you will probably look forward to trying one yourself!
Photograph sourceThere is just one problem with these events, and it is a logical problem. What happens when you put great food, hundreds of people, low prices, and beautiful weather together? You get queues, endless lines, and people becoming more and more stressed. In fact, as you can read here, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/opinion/sunday/why-waiting-in-line-is-torture.html, there are reasons why this always happens. Luckily, however, some proper preparation and planning will make sure that you have a fantastic time.
3 Top Tips for a Perfect BBQ Festival
- Arrive early enough to avoid the lines. Seems obvious, but you would be surprised at how many people forget this. Make sure you plan your trip and set off as early as possible. Be there about 15 minutes before the gates open as you can. This means you won’t have to stand in line too long for your tickets, or for your food. The added benefit is that all the food is freshly cooked as well.
- The deal of the day may seem tempting, but that’s what everybody else thinks as well. Sure, you might be able to get some very special food at a really special price, but this is where everybody is going. It is common for event organizers to combine admission tickets with the deal of the day tickets, which means you may feel like you’re getting excellent value for money. But try putting a price on your time, because you will waste plenty of it standing in that line with everybody else. And remember that the deal of the day may not be the best food of the day.
- Don’t forget that you will get samplers, not a full meal. If you have a barbecue at home, you will probably have a large plate with four or five different types of meat, corn on the cob, potato salad, coleslaw, cornbread, and lots of other things. Not so if you want to take part in the People’s Choice vote. All you will get is small bites – sliders, rather than burgers (here is an explanation of what sliders are http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2005/06/oi-yank-whats-a.html, for the uninitiated). Consider, therefore, not participating in the People’s Choice at all, but merely picking a stall and having a huge meal instead.
There you have it, three key tips to have a great time at a BBQ festival. There is an alternative, however, which is to have a family barbecue by following these tips instead: http://coriscozycorner.com/summer-is-coming-heres-how-to-have-the-perfect-family-bbq/. No lines, no small plates, just good old-fashioned fun with your family.
Either way, enjoy the food!
