Lexington Barbecue Festival to return in-person after two years

The festival will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 22

The festival will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 22

SOME WEEKEND PLANS. THE LEXINGTON BARBECUE FESTIVAL IS RETURNING THIS WEEKEND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TWO YEARS. AND VICTORIA LUCAS IS OUT THERE LIVE THIS MORNING MAKING US HUNGRY AT 633. VICTORIA, YOU’VE HAD SOME DELICIOUS TREATS AND I’VE HAD SOME PRETTY COOL SWAG TO SHOW US AT THE LEXINGTON BARBECUE FESTIVAL. SO WHAT ELSE CAN WE EXPECT. GOOD MORNING, CHRISTINE AND AUDREY. WELL, WHAT ELSE CAN YOU EXPECT? ACTIVITIES, FUN, FOOD. AND, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST HERE IN THIS PART OF THE HOUR, MAYOR JASON HAYES OF LEXINGTON. HOW ARE YOU? I’M DOING GREAT. VICTORIA, HOW ABOUT YOURSELF? I’M VERY WELL, THANK YOU. LOVE THE HANDSHAKE. SO YOU GREW UP HERE, SO THIS ISN’T YOUR FIRST FESTIVAL, BUT IT IS YOUR FIRST AS MAYOR. THAT IS TRUE. THIS IS MY FIRST BARBECUE FESTIVAL AS MAYOR. WE SO EXCITED THAT THE FESTIVAL HAS COME BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY THIS YEAR AFTER HAVING A TWO YEAR HIATUS DUE TO COVID. BUT OUR COMMUNITY IS JUST SO ABOUT HAVING THE BARBECUE FESTIVAL BACK THIS YEAR. AWESOME. MAYOR HAYES. AND LET’S GIVE THE FOLKS AT HOME A FUN FACT. YOU ACTUALLY ATTENDED THE FIRST LEXINGTON BARBECUE FESTIVAL. I. BACK IN 1984, ATTENDED THE VERY FIRST FESTIVAL. AND IT WAS SO MUCH FUN THEN. AND IT WILL BE SO MUCH FUN TOMORROW AS WELL. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I’VE SEEN THROUGH THE YEARS IS HOW HOW MANY EVENTS AND VENDORS HAVE CONTINUED TO BUILD OVER TIME. AND AS MAYOR, I’VE REALIZED HOW MANY PEOPLE IT TAKES TO PULL OFF AN EVENT LIKE THIS. AND SO THANKFUL FOR THE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED AS WELL AS THE THOUSANDS OF HOURS THAT HAVE GONE IN TO MAKING THIS EVENT SPECIAL FOR THIS REGION. AMAZING. IT TRULY DOES TAKE A VILLAGE, RIGHT, TO HELP ALL THOSE BUSINESSES, A NONPROFIT. IT DOES. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE DATA POINTS THAT I READ HERE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS IS IS JUST DURING THE WEEKEND, THE FESTIVAL ITSELF GENERATES ALMOST $10 MILLION IN REVENUE, NOT JUST FOR THE BARBECUE FESTIVAL ITSELF DOWN MAIN STREET, BUT IT’S BUSINESSES IN AND AROUND OUR COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT’S RESTAURANTS, LODGING, OTHER RETAIL VENUES. IT’S JUST SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY NOT MENTION THE NUMBER OF NONPROFITS THAT BENEFIT FROM FUNDRAISING EVENTS DURING THE WEEKEND. SO IT’S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO LEXINGTON. YES. AND WE’RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME, BUT WE HAVE TO TELL THE FOLKS AT HOME, YOU’RE GOING TO RECEIVE TOMORROW THE FIRST BARBECUE SANDWICH AT THE OPENING FESTIVAL AND OPENING CEREMONY, RATHER. SO LET’S TAKE WAY INTO A TASTE, RIGHT? YOUR FIRST TASTE AS A MAYOR, RIGHT? FIRST TASTE. LET’S CHEERS. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I’VE HAD BARBECUE AT 630 IN THE MORNING. BUT I AM READY. LET’S DO IT. AWESOME. WHAT DO YOU THINK, VICTORIA? SO DARN GOOD. AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, EVERYONE, WE’RE LIVE IN LEXINGTON THIS MORNING. I’M VICTORIA LUCAS WXII 12 NEWS. VICTORIA, I THINK YOU HAVE THE BEST JOB IN TV. JUST MAKE SURE YOU BRING SOME

Updated: 11:27 AM EDT Oct 21, 2022

Editorial Standards ⓘ

Lexington Barbecue Festival to return in-person after two years

The festival will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 22

Updated: 11:27 AM EDT Oct 21, 2022

Editorial Standards ⓘ

The annual Lexington Barbecue Festival returns after two years since the COVID-19 pandemic halted many in-person events.This will be the city's 38th festival, featuring music, activities for all ages, and, of course, barbecue-cooked foods.“It’s a real opportunity for us to highlight and showcase our amazing barbecue heritage — the world’s best barbecue," said Stephanie Saintsing, Lexington Barbecue Festival director.The first barbecue festival was in 1984 and has now grown to host thousands on a ten-block span along Main Street in Uptown Lexington. “It started out as a 10,000-person street fair, and then it just blew up after the 10th one,” said Cecil Conrad of the Barbecue Center. "We average crowds over 100,000 people, and we’re going to be probably between 150 to 200,000 this weekend.”Hundreds of pounds of pork are put into fire pits in the city's Barbecue Center to be ready to serve thousands who will attend Saturday's festival. Video: North Carolina's BBQ War is a real thingSaturday's event will be Mayor Jason Hayes' first festival as mayor, but he had the chance to attend the first festival in 1984. He said the festival was exciting then, and it will be now, and the revenue will serve as a huge help to the community.“Just during the weekend, the festival itself generates almost $10 million in revenue not just for the barbecue festival itself down Main Street, but it’s the businesses in and around our community — whether it’s restaurants, lodging, other retail venues — it’s just so important for our community," Hayes said.Hayes said local nonprofit groups benefit from fundraising events as well.The festival will begin at 8:30 a.m. and continue until 6 p.m.“You can expect amazing entertainment — six stages of entertainment, 250 arts and crafts vendors, lots of special attractions, bicycle stunt shows, car shows — you name it, we have it," Saintsing said.

LEXINGTON, N.C. —

The annual Lexington Barbecue Festival returns after two years since the COVID-19 pandemic halted many in-person events.

This will be the city's 38th festival, featuring music, activities for all ages, and, of course, barbecue-cooked foods.

“It’s a real opportunity for us to highlight and showcase our amazing barbecue heritage — the world’s best barbecue," said Stephanie Saintsing, Lexington Barbecue Festival director.

The first barbecue festival was in 1984 and has now grown to host thousands on a ten-block span along Main Street in Uptown Lexington.

“It started out as a 10,000-person street fair, and then it just blew up after the 10th one,” said Cecil Conrad of the Barbecue Center. "We average crowds over 100,000 people, and we’re going to be probably between 150 to 200,000 this weekend.”

Hundreds of pounds of pork are put into fire pits in the city's Barbecue Center to be ready to serve thousands who will attend Saturday's festival.

Video: North Carolina's BBQ War is a real thing

Saturday's event will be Mayor Jason Hayes' first festival as mayor, but he had the chance to attend the first festival in 1984. He said the festival was exciting then, and it will be now, and the revenue will serve as a huge help to the community.

“Just during the weekend, the festival itself generates almost $10 million in revenue not just for the barbecue festival itself down Main Street, but it’s the businesses in and around our community — whether it’s restaurants, lodging, other retail venues — it’s just so important for our community," Hayes said.

Hayes said local nonprofit groups benefit from fundraising events as well.

The festival will begin at 8:30 a.m. and continue until 6 p.m.

“You can expect amazing entertainment — six stages of entertainment, 250 arts and crafts vendors, lots of special attractions, bicycle stunt shows, car shows — you name it, we have it," Saintsing said.

Lexington Mayor Jason Hayes says the annual BBQ festival generates almost $10 million in revenue all in one weekend! Mayor Hayes also had his first BBQ taste as mayor with us—take a look! @WXII pic.twitter.com/A1rqYHtKKk
— WXII Victoria Lucas (@WXIIVictoria) October 21, 2022

Lexington Barbecue Festival to return in-person after two years

The festival will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 22

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