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A fireworks spectacular ended Girard’s “Smokin’ Hot BBQ and Fireworks” Saturday at the Crawford County Fairgrounds.
The day’s activities, coordinated by the Celebrate Girard! Committee, included the first Girard Kansas City Barbecue Society sanctioned contest.
“It was awesome, and it’s over,” said Christy Vulgamore, committee chairman.
“Everything went extremely well, other than the rain, which happened the last 45 minutes of the contest,” said Susan Thom.
“The rain killed our smokers,” said Dave Ferguson, Girard, who competed with the B.C.O. cooking team. “They were giving us another hour to get them back up for the People’s Choice contest.”
When the contest was over, Smokers Wild of Paola took home the $1,000 grand champion prize, and Caveman Cuisine, Carthage, Mo., won the $500 reserve champion prize.
Of the 33 teams entered, Ferguson rated 28th overall, and 15th in the chicken category.
“I was the second highest of the four local teams,” he said. “That’s something.”
Highest was Steve Nelson, Girard, who had Smokin and Smilin. He placed 27th overall.
His biggest fan, granddaughter Caitlin James, rates him No. 1. “My dog chases Grandpa because he smells delicious,” she said.
“I’ve only cooked in the backyard before,” Nelson said. “I just came to see what this was all about.”
Ferguson said he decided to enter the contest “because it was in my backyard and it was fun. I don’t expect to win against the big rollers, but I’ll come again next year.”
“This was a great first-year contest,” said Dave Rogers, KCBS representative. “Next year it will be bigger and better.”
Karaoke, live music by the 33 1/3 band and the annual Wutke family watermelon feed followed the contest.
The rain was long gone by fireworks time, and the road leading to the fairgrounds and the fields around were filled with cars.
“I thought the fireworks were pretty good,” said Lee Hardesty. “I liked the loud ones and the weepy willow ones best.”
The Girard fireworks display was held for many years at Wutke Park in town, and Hardesty said he went to that show last year.
“I like this because there’s so much parking space, and it’s so open you get a good view,” he said. “It’s so open that it makes me wish they’d have fireworks going off all around.”
Kitten Collins said she hadn’t been to the Wutke Park fireworks, but she, her husband and her mother decided to check out the show at the fairgrounds.
“They were lovely,” said her mother, Olive Short.
All in all, it was a lovely day, according to Craig Hull, director of the Crawford County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“What an outstanding event,” Hull said. “A seed has been planted, now we have to nurture it and keep it growing.”
A fireworks spectacular ended Girard’s “Smokin’ Hot BBQ and Fireworks” Saturday at the Crawford County Fairgrounds.
The day’s activities, coordinated by the Celebrate Girard! Committee, included the first Girard Kansas City Barbecue Society sanctioned contest.
“It was awesome, and it’s over,” said Christy Vulgamore, committee chairman.
“Everything went extremely well, other than the rain, which happened the last 45 minutes of the contest,” said Susan Thom.
“The rain killed our smokers,” said Dave Ferguson, Girard, who competed with the B.C.O. cooking team. “They were giving us another hour to get them back up for the People’s Choice contest.”
When the contest was over, Smokers Wild of Paola took home the $1,000 grand champion prize, and Caveman Cuisine, Carthage, Mo., won the $500 reserve champion prize.
Of the 33 teams entered, Ferguson rated 28th overall, and 15th in the chicken category.
“I was the second highest of the four local teams,” he said. “That’s something.”
Highest was Steve Nelson, Girard, who had Smokin and Smilin. He placed 27th overall.
His biggest fan, granddaughter Caitlin James, rates him No. 1. “My dog chases Grandpa because he smells delicious,” she said.
“I’ve only cooked in the backyard before,” Nelson said. “I just came to see what this was all about.”
Ferguson said he decided to enter the contest “because it was in my backyard and it was fun. I don’t expect to win against the big rollers, but I’ll come again next year.”
“This was a great first-year contest,” said Dave Rogers, KCBS representative. “Next year it will be bigger and better.”
Karaoke, live music by the 33 1/3 band and the annual Wutke family watermelon feed followed the contest.
The rain was long gone by fireworks time, and the road leading to the fairgrounds and the fields around were filled with cars.
“I thought the fireworks were pretty good,” said Lee Hardesty. “I liked the loud ones and the weepy willow ones best.”
The Girard fireworks display was held for many years at Wutke Park in town, and Hardesty said he went to that show last year.
“I like this because there’s so much parking space, and it’s so open you get a good view,” he said. “It’s so open that it makes me wish they’d have fireworks going off all around.”
Kitten Collins said she hadn’t been to the Wutke Park fireworks, but she, her husband and her mother decided to check out the show at the fairgrounds.
“They were lovely,” said her mother, Olive Short.
All in all, it was a lovely day, according to Craig Hull, director of the Crawford County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“What an outstanding event,” Hull said. “A seed has been planted, now we have to nurture it and keep it growing.”
