But cook-offs and restaurants aren’t where American barbecue came from anyway. The oldest barbecue tradition in America, the community barbecue, continues largely unnoticed in churches, clubs and lodge halls. Many of the pits are ancient, the cooking methods are traditional and the barbecue is generally excellent. Check out a community barbecue near you, it’s worth the trip!
Texas
Annual Frydek Grotto Celebration
Last Sunday of April
St. Mary’s Catholic Church Grounds, FM 1458
124 Zaruba Road, Sealy
979-885-3131
Mass 9:30am
BBQ 11:00am Brisket, chicken and homemade Czech sausage
Music, Auction, Cake Walk, Kids Activities
Get there early if you want to buy homemade kolaches–they sell out fast!
10th Annual Fruehling Saengerfest
Fourth Sunday of April
Concordia Hall, 952 S. Tesch, Bellville
For more information please contact Robert Herridge 979-865-0935
Sponsored by Bellville Lions Club & Bluebonnet Chapter of the Texas German Society.
BBQ 11:00am Chicken & Sausage Dinner $9.00 per plate.
Millheim Harmonie Verein’s Annual Father’s Day Barbecue
Father’s Day
Millheim Harmonie Verein’s Dance Hall
3384 FM 949 Road
Sealy, Texas
BBQ 11:00 am Beef, Mutton, and Pork.
Cake Wheel, Silent Auction, Music
One of the last of the old-fashioned open pits!
Don’t miss this one!
Sons of Hermann Washington Lodge BBQ
Third Sunday in October
Sons of Hermann Lodge
9499 Fm 1370 Washington, Texas
BBQ 11 am Brisket and Pork Butt, homemade dessert table
Cake auction, raffle
Come early and see the wonderful old BBQ pit in action!
North Carolina
Mallard Creek Church BBQ (since 1929)
Fourth Thursday in October
Mallard Creek Presbyterian Church Community Hall
11400 Mallard Creek Road
Charlotte, North Carolina
BBQ 10 am Pulled Pork Plate or 3 sandwiches $9
The phone number at the Community House is 704-547-0323 during preparation and on the day of the Barbecue.
In 2011, over 20,000 people attended, consuming 14 thousand pounds of pulled pork at $9 a plate.
Volunteers: call Bill Wood at 704-756-0943 or Charles Kimrey at 704-408-6722.
Poplar Presbyterian BBQ
First Thursday in November
6841 Poplar Tent Presbyterian Road Concord
North Carolina
704-786-1603
California
Annual Bennett Valley Grange Community Barbecue (since 1872)
First Sunday in June
Bennett Valley Grange
Santa Rosa, CA
Phone: (707) 546-2165
BBQ: Noon Open cinderblock pit, half chickens, beef tri-tip, beans, cole slaw, bread and homemade desserts.
Music, petting zoo, games, silent auction, Bennett Valley Fire Dept Trucks display.
BBQ History: This bulletin board is an attempt to draw attention to community events where artisanal pit barbecue traditions are preserved. This is not the place for listings of BBQ Cook-offs, competitions, festivals featuring barbecue restaurants or events serving gas, electric, or oven-cooked barbecue.
Community BBQ Organizers: Please help us fill out this Community BBQ Calendar by posting information for your upcoming event in the comments section with links to photos and websites and details about pits and cooking methods. Let us know if you need volunteers.
BBQ Enthusiasts: If you want to reconnect with the roots of American barbecue culture, you might consider lending your talents to a community barbecue. You can also rent lodges, dance halls and other historic venues with old-fashioned barbecue pits and hold your own community barbecue for a family reunion, wedding or event.
http://www.dumasnoonlions.com/page23.php
I know its a bit out of the way from here, but there a great community cue going on in the panhandle of Texas in a town by the nam of Dumas. I have attached a link discussing it. Here is the text:
First Dogie Days was held July 31-Aug 3, 1946. It evolved from what was formerly called the Dumas Annual Old Settler’s Reunion and Rodeo.It was sponsored by the Dumas Noon Lions Club in an effort to meet commitments made to the Llano Estacado Boy Scout Council to aid the Don Harrington Ranch home in scouting.
What:
Dogie Days is an annual town celebration and tradition that includes a
carnival, food booths, parade, and town barbecue. The climax is the
raffling of a new vehicle on the midway Saturday night. 2011 marks the 65th annual celebration.
The name Dogie comes from a motherless
calf, pronounced “Dough-gie,” as in the cowboy phrase “get along little Dogie.”
Why:
Dogie Days first began in 1946 to help meet commitments made to the
Llano Estacado Boy Scout Council to aid the Don Harrington Ranch home for
Scouting in Amarillo. It evolved from an event called the Dumas Annual Old Settler’s
Reunion and Rodeo. Today, the Dumas Noon Lions Club donates the proceeds to
local charities and buys eyeglasses for needy people. Proceeds also go to certain Lions
causes such as the Leader Dogs for the Blind and the Texas Lions Camp for handicapped
kids to name a few. In 2010, the Dumas Noon Lions netted over $70,000 dollars in
proceeds for charity. They also fed approximately 6,000 people at the town barbecue,
roughly half the population of Dumas.
Who:
Dogie Days is sponsored solely by the Dumas Noon Lions Club. The latest ranking put the Dumas Noon Lions club as the 10th largest club in Texas and the 10th largest club in the world. Members man the food and game booths while the carnival rides are operated by an independent carnival operator. No outside
organizations are allowed to run booths.
When:
Dogie Days normally occurs the 2nd Wednesday through Saturday of June. The midway and booths open at 6:00 P.M. Wednesday through Friday. All nights begin with a $20.00 wrist band for the rides. The midway and booths open at 12:00 P.M. Saturday afternoon (after the parade) and closes down at 12:00 P.M that
evening.
Where:
Dogie Days is held in Dumas, Moore County, TX. Population 13,916. The carnival, midway,
the booths, and the barbecue are in McDade Park, which is on the very south side of town,
north of the football stadium.
Other:
There is no admission charge to the event but BBQ tickets are $8.00 until day of BBQ, then go
up to $9.00 the day of BBQ. Chances on the pickup are $4. (As of 2011)
Dogie Days General Facts:
First Dogie Days was held July 31-Aug 3, 1946.
It evolved from what was formerly called the Dumas Annual Old Settler’s Reunion and Rodeo.
It was sponsored by the Dumas Noon Lions Club in an effort to meet commitments made to the
Llano Estacado Boy Scout Council to aid the Don Harrington Ranch home in scouting.
Barbecue
7600 pounds of meat is cooked in a covered pit with 15 cords of wood for 24 hrs.
40 gallons of barbecue sauce
800 pounds of beans
200pounds of onions
228 gallon cans of peaches
300 loaves of bread.
Approximately 5,000 to 6,000 people are fed at the barbecue every year.
Hamburger Stand
14,500 hamburger patties are ordered each Dogie Days.