BBQ Festival

I was visiting the Rooks County Free Fair Friday afternoon as one of 4 judges for their first ever BBQ tailgate contest. First prize was awarded $750, and we had to judge the groups based on the quality of the food, entertainment, creativity, and originality. The other judges included Kansas State Fair General Manager Denny Stoecklein, Kansas Secretary of Ag Josh Svaty, and Miss Kansas Lauren Werhan and we had a great time. But, our stomachs were on the verge of exploding when we left, full of all kinds of different BBQ. The winner served us some Indian Curry and had chocolate cake with a cherry filling on the bottom. The second prize winner served up Mexican food they had prepared on the grill, and in third place, we had sausage and cabbage that had been prepared in an old milk cream can. All of the food we had yesterday was excellent, and picking a winner was hard to do. The 3 hour drive back to Wichita was very difficult on a full stomach, but I was so grateful to have been a part of this first ever event. It reminded me of the many county fairs I participated in while growing up in Ellsworth county. It brings everyone in the community together and it is a great way to wrap up the summer before kids head back to school. The summer has gone so fast. My vacation is over and so it's back to the grind as we get ready for a changing weather pattern, and one that will hopefully not get as hot as it has been lately. And, maybe we'll continue to get some rainfall to green things back up.