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Writer's pictureMichael Tesh

Barbecue Festival Turns 40

Updated: 6 days ago



Barbecue Festival crowd by Holland Brooks

The 40th Annual Barbecue Festival has officially wrapped up, and as an uptown Lexington business owner for the past eight years, I've always looked forward to the buzz leading up to this iconic event. The energy in the city is unmistakable as everyone works tirelessly to perfect every detail. By 4 p.m. the night before, the streets are blocked off, and Uptown becomes strangely quiet. But at midnight, when most are winding down or already asleep, Main Street springs to life. Between 12 a.m. and 4 a.m., more than 250 vendors arrive, transforming the streets for one of the largest single-day festivals in the country. By 8 a.m., the magic begins.


Each year, this festival holds great importance for vendors and merchants. However, in honor of its 40th anniversary, the festival achieved new levels of success. The event boasted six stages showcasing a variety of musical talents, with national recording artist Chris Lane as the headline act. Alongside a stellar lineup of vendors and perfect autumn weather, this festival stood out as one of the most memorable in recent years, a remarkable achievement following 39 years of excellence.


This year was the first year Holland Brooks Event Space was able to take a small part in the festival. We had the opportunity to serve as a catering station for volunteers and host musical headliners, while our neighbors at Short Circuit were a crowd favorite. We cannot wait to expand our role next year as Davidson County's first legal distillery that should be open and producing quality craft spirits!


To conclude, we would like to express our immense gratitude to the organizers, volunteers, vendors, and the City for their efforts in transforming our town for a day, turning it into a bustling destination for travelers that bring life to our streets and significantly boost our merchants' business, sometimes equivalent to a month's worth in just one day! Looking forward to the next year with anticipation... Thank you, and we are excited to see what the future holds!

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