Sure, the Piggly Wiggly BBQ Championship & Bluegrass Festival featured music from some big names in the bluegrass scene. But the real hit of the afternoon was the Sundae, a creation of Brittons BBQ on Johns Island. With stacked layers of baked beans, coleslaw, and chopped pork barbecue, it wasn’t pretty to look at, but it was perfectly suited to the lawn-chair dining arrangements and the ambience of the whole evening.
Rhonda Vincent was billed as the Queen of Bluegrass, and she defended the throne with all the charm of Dolly Parton and the witty repartée to keep people laughing. And Sam Bush, the King of Newgrass, brought a Jimmy Buffett-like air that got the 20-somethings dancing with their Koozies down in front of the stage.
One major disappointment: The barbecue contest entrants were not selling their product to the public. Overall winning team Smoker Ace and the Fastest Chickens in the South had an enticing enough moniker, but when the results were announced, the only vendors selling ’cue were from Boone Hall and Brittons.
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