2012 Calendar of Events

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Porky LeSwine

With a new year upon us, it is time for me to update the Events page of this website with hog happenings planned for North Carolina in 2012.  If you know of a barbecue-related event coming up in the year ahead, especially if the event was not listed last year, please comment on this post or drop me a line at BBQJew at gmail.com. The more info you can provide about the event, the better. Providing a web address is helpful, but providing a free backstage pass, celebrity judging offer or other bribe is even better…

Thanks y’all,

Porky

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National Barbecue Association Annual Conference

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Porky LeSwine

The Kentucky-based National Barbecue Association (NBBQA) presents its 21st annual conference early in 2012 on the west coast.  Highlights are below and additional details are here on the NBBQA’s conference website.  If you are a kindred soul and like me take barbecue WAY too seriously, this event may appeal to you.  Plus, there are worse things than heading to San Diego in February.

“California Here We Come! 

Pack your shades and your beach towels – the National Barbecue Association is headed to sunny southern California.

Registration is now open for the 21st annual NBBQA National Conference and Trade Show on February 22-25, 2012 in beautiful San Diego.
NBBQA wants to help spread the word about the Golden State’s own contributions to ‘cue, including the increasingly popular Santa Maria style cooking. This year’s conference will feature:
  • the always-popular bus tour, highlighting five distinctive San Diego area BBQ joints
  • a keynote address by John Markus, executive producer for the hit TLC series BBQ Pitmasters
  • an inspiring opening session including Mike Mills, featuring stories of how members of the BBQ family are giving back to their communities and their industry
  • a wide range of excellent education sessions for competitors, restaurateurs, caterers and backyard enthusiasts presented by some of the country’s leading experts
  • an exhibit hall with the latest and greatest products, services and foods of interest to the ‘cue community – and new this year, a BBQ Marketplace where you can shop for BBQ tools, sauces and rubs, cookbooks, accessories and more
  • a BBQ Town Hall, where attendees will discuss the latest issues affecting our industry
  • NBBQA’s School for Competition Cooking, taught by multiple championship winner Todd Johns of Plowboys BBQ
  • The Old-Fashioned BBQ Bash, MBN and KCBS judging schools, BBQ Caterer’s Showcase Dinner & Auction, and much, much more!

 

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Cackalacky Cookout for a Cause (aka “Cookacausy”?)

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Porky LeSwine

For those of you in striking distance of Chapel Hill, there’s a good event for a good cause this Saturday, as described by Mr. Page Skelton of Cackalacky, Inc.

“Our mighty Cackalacky cookout crew will be teaming up with our “zest friends” from A  Southern Season and Fullsteam Brewery for an awesome tailgate  party/sampling event this Saturday, October 29th!  Plus, we will also be  accepting non-perishable food donations at the gathering on behalf of the nice folks from PORCH, too! (People Offering Relief for  Chapel Hill and Carrboro Homes, or, “PORCH”  for short.)

So, please  come by the tailgate party for some tasty tunes, brews, and eats – and help support a great local cause! (And, please don’t forget  to bring a few canned or boxed food items with  you.)

What: Cackalacky-Fullsteam Tailgate  Party

Where: A Southern Season, 201 S. Estes Drive, Chapel  Hill, NC 27514

When: Saturday, October 29th  11 – 3PM

Why: Why not? (Seriously)  Well, that AND  to have a great time while we raise food donations for a great  cause!

Helpful links:

www.PORCHNC.org

www.SouthernSeason.com

www.Fullsteam.ag

Thanks &  zestiest regards,

Page
Page Skelton
President
Cackalacky, Inc.
www.CACKALACKY.com

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Countdown to The Barbecue Festival

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Porky LeSwine

Saturday, October 22nd is the date of The Barbecue Festival in Lexington, which is far and away North Carolina’s largest barbecue-related event.  Assuming the weather is nice, well over 100,000 people will descend on little Uptown Lexington for the day, making it perhaps the worst day of the year to visit unless you love crowds.  While October 22nd is the big day, there are Festival-related events aleady underway:

-This past Saturday was the 20th annual Tour de Pig bicycle race, which was held the same day as Ridin’ Hawg Wild, an event for folks who prefer their bikes motorized.

-Archdale resident Tabatha Allred won the 2011 Childress Idol competition on October 2nd and will sing at the Festival.

-This coming Saturday the 15th will feature the Hawg Shoot high school air rifle competition (for those who don’t mind guns at school), the Hawg Run 5K, and the Barbecue Festival Golf Tournament.

-On the weekend of the Festival, competitive folks can participate in the 1st annual Barbecue Festival Cornhole “Throw Down” or the Barbecue Festival Softball Tournament. Personally, I think horseshoes would be a more appropriate pairing with barbecue but to each his own.

-Oh, and the Pepsi “Pig Tales” Creative Writing Contest is still accepting entries for all age categories through October 14th so if you have a burning desire to write fiction that includes mentions of barbecue and Pepsi then this is your chance to make your work pay off… category winners take home 20 cases of Pepsi products.

Finally, don’t forget to book at ticket on Amtrak for its once-a-year stop in Lexington.  My family took the train to the event last year and were surround by fellow barbecue lovers, some from as far away as Long Island, NY.

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Beer and BBQ on the 7th Day

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Porky LeSwine

Continuing this week’s inadvertent beer theme, I just learned of a new event taking place on Sundays in downtown Durham.  Fullsteam Brewery, purveyors of hickory-smoked Hogwash and a wide variety of other southern agriculture-focused “plow to pint” offerings, pairs up with Backyard BBQ Pit, a wood pit barbecue joint that cooks up the best ‘cue in Durham.  Each Sunday from 4 to 8 p.m.  (at least until further notice, so call ahead), the two businesses team up to bring you the succinctly named “BBQ and Beer Sundays.”  The BBQ and beer sabbath is held at 726 Rigsbee Avenue in Durham, Fullsteam Brewery’s world headquarters.

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Hog Happenin’ in Lincolnton Today and Saturday

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Porky LeSwine

If you’re like me–i.e., you’ve gone nearly 12 hours since you last ate barbecue–take comfort in the fact that you can get your ‘cue fix this weekend.  Tonight and tomorrow in Lincolnton is the annual Hog Happenin’, not to be confused with the Wil King Hog Happenin’ in Kinston that took place way back in May, or the Hog Happnin’ in Shelby in November.  According to the festival website, the Lincolnton event features “a regional bike fest and Kansas City Barbeque Society Sanctioned North Carolina State Championship Barbeque Cook-off that brings motorcycle owners and Barbeque teams together in downtown Lincolnton… While there are many hog events throughout North Carolina, Lincolnton was the first to combine the animal with the mechanical.” Hogs and Hogs, get it? Honestly, it took me a second…

The event draws close to 10,000 people to little downtown Lincolton, including volunteers from members of the  Christian Motorcycle Association, Carolina Faith Riders, Freedom Biker Church. Who knew there were so many motorcyclists riding for the lord?  I sure didn’t but good for them.  Word on the street is that the Veggie Tales Vegan-Baptist Biker Society is sitting out the Hog Happenin’ but may return for the yam portion of the Ham & Yam Festival in Smithfield next year.

At any rate, the Lincolnton event is free and open to the public.  Many more details online, and probably many more religious biker clubs I have not yet learned about.

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Cackalacky Cookout Celebration and Charity Event

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Porky LeSwine

The Cackalacky Condiment Company is celebrating its 10th anniversary–really, has it been that long?–on Saturday, June 4th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at A Southern Season in Chapel Hill.  According to a press release from the company, “Page Skelton, founder of Cackalacky, Inc., and Cackalacky pit master, “Big Tom” Price manning the 40-foot Grill-Zilla portable cookout apparatus and serving North Carolina-style pork barbecue with proceeds to benefit the NC Diabetes Bus Initiative.”  In addition, the founder of Duck-Rabbit Brewery will be on hand pouring samples of his beers. He makes some of the state’s best, specializing in dark beers.  Finally, there will be live bluegrass music.

BBQ, beer, and bluegrass for a good cause.  Oh, and if you’ve never tried Cackalacky sauce, it is a treat.  A very difficult to describe treat but a treat nonetheless.

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Hogs and Pigs, Oh My

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Porky LeSwine

Two Triangle-area barbecue events take place this weekend:

Hillsborough Hog Day, the classic barbecue festival, cook-off and cultural event, moves up a month from past years in order to beat the heat.  The 29th annual event is held in River Park behind the courthouse and features live music, other entertainment, arts and crafts, and lots of chopped pork.  I’ll be dropping by bright and early on Saturday morning to help judge the pork shoulder cooking competition, so I’m looking forward to partaking in some breakfast barbecue.  I hope you’ll come out later on in the day to take in the festitivies, as it’s always a well run event and in the past the hot June weather has been my only complaint!  While you are in Hillsborough, be sure to check out the new Hillsborough BBQ Company.

A few dozen miles east of Hillsborough in Raleigh this weekend is the sixth annual Carolina Pig Jig, which will be held at the state fairgrounds as part of the Got to Be NC Festival (meaning, there will surely be an appearance by the giant shopping cart–you’ll see what I mean if you don’t know already).  The Pig Jig is a cooking competition organized by Raleigh Masonic Lodge #500 as a benefit for area children’s homes.

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Busy BBQ Festival Weekend

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Porky LeSwine

Three barbecue-related events this weekend, including the legendary Smithfield Ham & Yam Festival.  See them all at https://bbqjew.com/events/

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Judgment Day is Near

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Porky LeSwine

If you happen to be in Lexington, NC this Saturday please drop by and say hello to your’s truly.  Just don’t interrupt me while I’m hard at work.  I’ll be among the dozens of lucky folks volunteering at the first annual Lexington BBQ Capital Cook-off, a Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) sanctioned cooking competition.  It will be my first experience judging barbecue as a KCBS Certified Barbeque Judge and I am feeling the pressure already–am I worthy of grading others on their chicken, pork ribs, pork butt, and brisket?   

The cook-off should be a fun event to watch, but a word of warning: according to the Greensboro News & Record, “Because of health department regulations, those who attend the two-day event will not be able to taste the barbecue prepared by the teams during the competition.”  What a drag, and what a waste of pork.  The good news is that three of the competitors will be selling BBQ to hungry onlookers.  Read more about the event in the Greensboro News & Record or at the event website.  See you in Lexington!

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