Addie Walser: BBQ Festival local youth social media crew share excitement
The city of Lexington is known for many things, a furniture metropolis, a burgeoning city with a small but steadily growing community, and most notably, barbecue. Recognized as the barbecue capital of the world, the citizens of Lexington have long celebrated this title with the Lexington Barbecue Festival, taking great pride in it. Lexington has hosted the Lexington Barbecue Festival for decades since 1984, with this year marking its 40th anniversary. This Saturday, October 26th, the 40th annual Barbecue Festival will be held on Main Street, with admission free for everyone.
The food festival has grown to be one of the largest street festivals in North Carolina, attracting thousands of visitors with hundreds of vendors selling all types of merchandise. From artisanal baked goods, homemade arts and crafts, and a variety of other wares, the Lexington Barbecue has something for everyone. Alongside the products for sale, there is also a wide range of exhibits and events to experience. Beautiful sand sculptures, talented performers, an exciting bicycling stunt show and more, are all waiting at the festival!
Aside from the exciting prospect of a festival, with the influx of new faces and events, the Lexington Barbecue Festival also brings a taste of nostalgia for the residents of Lexington. Many citizens remember growing up attending the festival, making lasting fond memories of it and forming lifelong relationships. The mayor of Lexington, Jason Hayes, attended the first barbecue festival with his now-wife of 34 years. At the time he “had no idea what to expect and it was unbelievable at the time how many people would come to gather on our city streets,” with nobody expecting the impact the festival would grow to have on the community of Lexington as a whole.
Overall, the Lexington Barbecue Festival has served as a cornerstone memory for the community of Lexington. With “top-list entertainment in our Uptown Lexington/Breeden Amphitheatre, great southern hospitality, and something for everyone to enjoy,” the 40th Lexington Barbecue Festival will surely be an event to remember!
