The Lexington Barbecue Festival is one of the biggest and best street festivals on the east coast. The focus is on BBQ pork served on a bun and having fun.
I'm already getting excited about the upcoming North Carlina Barbecue Festival. It's a yearly event every October and close my birthday, so that's how we celebrate - by going to the festival. This year (2007), the festival is on October 27. That's a Saturday.
The Lexington gathering is a festival and not a barbecue cooking competition. Those are fun as well, but this is more like a huge street party. Only Lexington style barbecue is sold as far as the barbecue, but there area always loads of other great foods too. One of my favorites is the fried apple pies. The lines are always long for those, but they're worth the wait.
There are several stages with music and entertainment all day. In addition to some super bands, they always have various shows for the kids.
Vendors sell local crafts and foods. I always pick up some barbecue sauces. Area sauce makers set up booths and offer samples. They also have some delicoius dip mixes every year. Last year I bought a neat snake made out of spare metal pieces and an airplane crafted from beer cans. Both are very unique pieces and fun.
The Lexington Barbecue Festival has won several festival awards and has been featured by a number of publications and has been covered by TV stations across the state.
Barbecue causes quite a stir in North Carolina. There are eastern and western versions. Everyone will swear the barbecue is best where they're from. I'm from the Piedmont, so I'm partial to Lexington style barbecue. Lexington is fairly close to Greensboro.
If you're anywhere near Lexington, NC or can swing a trip out, the festival really is great fun.
