155th Annual Irish Picnic - BARBECUE!

Video from WNPT (Nashville Public Television) show Tennessee Crossroads


This weekend is the annual Irish Picnic and Homecoming in my hometown of McEwen, Tennessee (population 1,675 - Saaaa-LOOT!).-----

McEwen is about 60 miles due west of Nashville, right on U.S. Highway 70 - the "Broadway of America." The Irish Picnic is an annual fundraiser to support Saint Patrick's School. (Yes, I'm an alumna.)

It's a fun-filled event that is held on the last Friday and Saturday in July. There are lots of things going on: bluegrass and country music, dancing - even Irish dancing, games, and food, food, food.

Especially barbecue. REAL pit barbecue that has been cooked over hickory coals for hours. Barbecued chicken halves are available on Friday. Pork barbecue is available on Saturday - you can buy it by the pound or by the shoulder. And it's GOOD, let me tell you. It's so good that people start lining up before sunrise on Saturday morning just to get their hands on some barbecue. No kidding.

Besides bulk barbecue, there are also plate dinners and barbecue sandwiches available on Saturday, along with burgers, hot dogs, ice cream, cold drinks, and other fare.

The Irish Picnic has been in the Guinness Book of World Records as the World's Largest Outdoor Barbecue. I don't believe it holds that title currently, but it did at one time.

To me the real star of the show is the world famous Irish Picnic Hot Sauce. It's not insanely hot like some of the "macho-man" sauces. It is a little on the warm side, though. But it is really flavorful. It, too, is cooked over hickory coals (in a large vat casted especially for the Picnic by Consolidated Aluminum). The hot sauce is available for purchase only at the picnic - you can't get it anywhere else.

Why does the hot sauce hold such a special place in my heart?

It's my family's recipe. It's also a secret.

Do I know the recipe? Yes. Will I tell it to you? No.

A little history about the Picnic...

155 years ago, the parishoners of Saint Patrick's Parish in McEwen wanted to buy a bell for their church. So, they got together and had a barbecue to raise the money.

Around that same time, they were also trying to keep their parish school going - the only school in Humphreys County at that time. So, the barbecue turned into an annual event to raise money for the school.

Over the years, the Picnic has become much more than a fundraiser. It has turned into a time for families of the parish and school alumni to reconnect. Even families that have no connection to the church or school often use Picnic time as their time to reunite with their families that have scattered far and wide.

People from all over the world flock to the Picnic to sample the barbecue and the sauce, and to get a little taste of small town festivities - something that is rapidly fleeting the world today.

If you ever get a chance to go to the Picnic (only about 3 1/2 hours drive from Knoxville), you'll get a glimpse of a simpler place and a simpler time... and some really excellent barbecue!