The Great Lakes Barbecue Association's 3rd Annual Winter Thaw and Practice Cook will be held on April 23rd and 24th at the Eagle Park Fairgrounds in Eagle, Michigan. It is opened to all comers and entry fees are $50 for two days and four meats or $35 for Saturday only and two meats. This is a non-sanctioned event, but Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) procedures and judging rules will apply in order to give the cooks an opportunity to participate in an "actual" event and to brush off the snow and prep for the season ahead. As Theresa Munroe, a veteran cook and charter member of the GLBBQA says, "I've always told people that if you're thinking about getting into barbecue competition, this is definitely a great way to get your feet wet for little expense, a lot of fun, and good camaraderie."
The fairground gates open on Friday afternoon and the festivities start Friday evening with a potluck dinner. Cooks will start cooking pork and brisket Friday night and chicken and ribs early Saturday morning. Judging of food begins on Saturday with chicken at noon, ribs at 12:30 p.m., pork at 1:00 p.m., and brisket at 1:30 p.m. For more information on participating in the practice cook, judging, or just attending to see what it's all about, please go to
http://www.glbbqa.com/ or Jerry Wasson at
jlwasson@comcast.net or Theresa Munroe at
tmandb17@comcast.net Subject: GLBBQA April Cook Off.
The Great Lakes Barbecue Association is a non-profit organization formed in 2007 to promote barbecue, grilling, and all forms of outdoor cooking, not only in Michigan but throughout the entire Great Lakes region. It's the organization's desire to utilize their love of barbecue and outdoor cooking to benefit selected charities and other worthwhile causes. It's the GLBBQA's goal to sponsor cooking seminars and other events where members, their families, business partners, and the public can get together to exchange ideas and information, share tips and recipes, and promote the true meaning of barbecue camaraderie and friendship.