Good Times in Lexington! (photos courtesy of the Barbecue Festival)

The 24th Annual Barbecue Festival is all set for Saturday, October 27th, 2007. Barbecue from Lexington, North Carolina is so famous that the renowned gourmet & author Craig Claiborne once put it on the menu of the Williamsburg Economic Summit to give the world's leaders a taste of real American food. Some restaurants offer "air-express" barbecue delivery, where they overnight barbecue requests all over the United States.

They've been at it a long time in those parts. Lexington's first barbecue restaurant opened in 1919 - a tent in the middle of town set up by Sid Weaver. Soon after that, Jesse Swicegood opened a stand. Business was good and both Sid and Jesse trained BBQ chefs to serve future generations. Now, there are over 20 barbecue restaurants in Lexington (a city of some 17,000 people). Today's chefs use methods only slightly different from the ones Sid and Jesse used over 60 years ago.

Fun for the Whole Family

Today, the Barbecue Festival is an annual tradition in Uptown Lexington. Travel and Leisure Magazine calls it “one of the top ten food festivals in the U.S.A.” Over 400 exhibitors sell everything from exquisite handmade crafts to homemade fudge. More than 100,000 people will enjoy the family fun that includes carnival rides & games, vintage cars, 6 stages of live music, environmental exhibits artist demonstrations, a lumberjack show, racing pigs, and of course, some of the world's greatest barbecue!

What makes Lexington barbecue so special? The fare is pork, of course - and shoulder is the cut of choice in Lexington. The pork shoulders are cooked long and slow - about an hour a pound - over hickory wood until it is fall apart tender. The shoulders are basted with "dip", a mixture of vinegar, ketchup, water, salt, and pepper. As the dip and fat drip onto the coals, smoke is created that rises up, surrounds and permeates the meat, and gives it a rich, smokey flavor. The meat is served chopped, although sliced can be requested, with more of the basting sauce on the side. At the annual North Carolina Championship Pork Cook-Off Festival goers can watch the state's top whole-hog cooking experts—nearly all of them from the coastal plain—demonstrate their craft.

In addition to the festival, the City of Lexington and Davidson County officially have declared October as "Barbecue" month. Events are held throughout the month of October which lead to the grand finale, the Barbecue Festival. Events that are held during the month of October include the Tour de Pig - the annual cycling event benefiting the Mental Health Association in Davidson County. There’s also a Golf Tournament, a Tennis Tournament, the 5K Hawg Run, and the Hawg Shoot Air Rifle Tournament.

For more about events & attractions and travel info go to: The Barbecue Festival