2017 Unruly Country Brew N Que Festival, Sonora CA Sept. 30 2017


 

Chris Allingham

Administrator
Staff member
I'll be judging BBQ at the first edition of Unruly Country Brew N Que Festival, held at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Sonora, CA this coming Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017. It's a four-meat KCBS sanctioned contest with lots of BBQ for the public, country music, line dancing, bull riding (yes, actual bull riding!), cornhole, craft beer and wine, and much more!

http://unrulycountryfestival.com/
 
Everyone had a great time at the Unruly Country Brew N Que Festival in Sonora, CA last Saturday, September 30. Held at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds, the main draw of this event was a country music festival featuring Luke Combs, Tucker Beathard, Luke Pell, Jackson Michelson, and Chris Bandi. To keep folks entertained beyond the music, there was a bull riding competition, a cornhole tournament, line dancing, a kids zone, vended barbecue, beer and wine, and of course the KCBS sanctioned barbecue contest where I served as a judge, featuring 30 pro teams from all over California and Nevada.

You couldn't have asked for better fall weather...the denim shorts and cowboy boots were out in full force...many locals commented on how enjoyable it was to have an event like this happening in Sonora...the BBQ competitors and judges I talked to were really positive about the event and were already looking forward to returning next year. Congrats to event organizer Trado Restaurant Corp. and especially to BBQ contest organizer Robert Stouffer of SoCal BBQ Event Management for doing such a great job!

In retrospect, this event was bittersweet for a couple of reasons. First, it was the last KCBS contest in Northern California for 2017, so it's the last time we'll see many of our barbecue friends until Spring 2018. And of course, the Unruly Country Festival took place the night before the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, so it hits close to home given the similarity of the two events. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by that tragedy.

Here are a bunch of pics from the event, I hope you enjoy them.

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Everything you need to make championship barbecue...WSMs, insulating blankets, Kingsford charcoal, and a bicycle.

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One of the most popular attractions was Nana Bear's Mini Donuts operated by Jayna Michelle and strategically positioned next to the Judges' Quarters. These little made-to-order gems were hot out of the fryer and sprinkled with your choice of toppings, from simple (plain, powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar) to kid-friendly (candies, cereal) to fancy (raspberries with white chocolate). Shown here is Master CBJ and Donut Connoisseur Paul Brown placing his order for some sweet treats...hey, a judge can't operate on an empty stomach!

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Photo Credit: Nana Bear's Mini Donuts

Judges' meeting gets underway shortly after 10:30 am.

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Fans get a photo op with country singer Luke Pell.

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The beer flows...

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Cornhole tournament looked like a lot of fun...teams were just starting to arrive and warm-up.

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Barbecue wasn't the only smoky product available...

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Folks arrived early to enjoy the daytime music and stake out a spot for the concert later that evening.

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Line dancing, anyone?

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Click the image below to view line dancing video...


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The big winners of the BBQ contest, from left to right: Mike Morrill - Rad Fondo BBQ (1st Chicken); Lamar Ware - Mar-B-Que's BBQ (RGC); contest organizer Robert Stouffer; Stephan Franklin - Simply Marvelous BBQ (1st Pork, 1st Brisket, GC); Andy Allen - Rooftop BBQ (1st Pork Ribs). Congrats on all their successes!

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Your Grand Champion: Stephan Franklin, Simply Marvelous BBQ. Cool custom beer tap "trophy" for GC and RGC winners.

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Drone photo of the country music concert crowd...everyone had a really good time.

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Photo Credit: SoCal BBQ Event Management

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Robert did an incredible job on a first year event! We made the 7 hour drive up from San Clemente and it was well worth it. We will be back next year for sure. We still have two more events down South that you can attend. Good seeing you at the event.
 
Congratulation Mike and team Rad Fondo on your Excellent showing !!! Especially the 1st in Chicken !!!
Neat to watch how team Rad Fondo is progressing up the ladder. Superb Job.

See you in a week and a half... (Friday night)
 

 

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