Kicking off the weekend with a proper hello, the city of Kennesaw came together Friday, August 15 and Saturday, August 16, to celebrate the world of BBQ. From music entertainment to BBQ sampling, Kennesaw residents took a stroll through downtown to spend time with their community and experience a taste of the South.
“What I enjoyed most about the festival was truly seeing a display of inclusivity and diversity amongst all the vendors and the creativity with people who were selling and displaying their own crafts and creations, as well as conveying that to the culture of the food that was served, from tacos to pork bellies to brisket. It was a great time,” NC alumni Eladia Scott said.
This year, the Pigs and Peaches festival took place at the United Bankshares Amphitheater and along Main Street, providing ample room for vendors and BBQ smokers from around town. Vendors such as Ironhead Barbeque and Williamson Bros BBQ set up their tents to prepare for the thousands of visitors they would receive over two days. Owners from these businesses took this time as the perfect opportunity to share their special BBQ recipes and compete in a sanctioned tasting experience.
From 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, August 16, BBQ vendors opened up their booths to allow visitors to taste their BBQ and submit their opinions to the Kansas City Barbeque Society and the Southeast BBQ Championship events. The top local restaurants in the Kennesaw area participated in these competitions to reveal their powerful BBQ abilities. Within these two competitions, other contests such as the pro/backyard contest, anything butt contest, and the peach dessert contest created tension among vendors. These contests, under the direction of volunteer judges, allow BBQ restaurants to win monetary prizes, grand champion titles and ultimately, bragging rights.
“I see what makes Pigs and Peaches unique because it’s generally based on different food vendors, especially those that [make] barbecue and cookout foods. [They were] definitely soaked in some sort of rub in seasoning and sauce. And overall, it just focuses on a lot of food-related items,” Scott said.
In addition to the delicious BBQ that reigned throughout the festival, other booths set up homemade welcome signs, Dungeons and Dragons paraphernalia and bakery delicacies to share with the community. Due to the high heat of the day, sweet drinks from the Little Lemon lemonade stand provided a unique twist to a regular cup of lemonade with their addition of fresh fruits and syrups.
To enhance the vibe of the weekend, a myriad of musicians from all over town came together and rocked the stage at United Bankshares Amphitheater. As a 13-year-old, vocalists, guitarists and drummers took the stage and shared their talents. Grand Ole Opry member and platinum-selling artist Mark Wills brought a discography full of country classics and his own music to entertain the crowd with his high-energy performance. Bands including Phantom, which rose from a fourth-grade talent show, showcase three pre-teens who live, breathe and sleep punk rock. This band trio sang a mix of skate-punk and alternative-punk, and they did not disappoint with their raw and fearless stage personas.
After two days of music, BBQ and shopping around downtown, Kennesaw residents walk back into their week with full bellies and grateful hearts. The annual Pigs and Peaches festival remains at the center of Kennesaw traditions, coming back each year with tastier BBQ.
