Little Sparks Catch Fire

St. Simons was rocked on March 27, 2010 when word spread across the island that Southern

Soul Barbeque was on fire. Only weeks before, Guy Fieri and the “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives” TV crew had filmed a segment on the popular local smoke joint that was serving up top notch ribs, brisket, and more out of a converted 1940s gas station. Both the food and the people who created the unique atmosphere at Southern Soul made it a favorite for locals and visitors alike. Owners Harrison Sapp and Griffin Bufkin, who had established the business in 2007, thought their dreams had gone up in smoke with the building. As Harrison once said in an interview, “We watched it. We all watched it. Us, the fire department, and everybody. We just watched it burn to the ground. ’Cause there was nothing that could be done. We all thought we were done.” But, much to their surprise and relief, a social media fire had been sparked as well, and devoted patrons, friends, and neighbors, all stepped forward to show support and lend a hand however they could. Sapp explained, “Somehow, we had just become part of the community, you know, and everybody over here was family.”

And so, Southern Soul continued operating, out of tents and trailers. Fundraisers were held by other island restaurants with additional support from local businesses. They were back on their feet and operating out of a new building in less than a year. Davis Love III, PGA Tour veteran and a part-owner of the restaurant, says “I think ever since then, they’ve felt like they need to give back as much as they can.” From feeding first responders during Hurricanes Matthew and Irma to providing food at fundraisers and beyond, Southern Soul has been paying it both forward and back. Harrison says, “We owe St. Simons everything. I owe them everything. They take care of us like we’re their kids, and we try to take care of everybody around here.” It is this mentality that gave rise to The Firebox Initiative, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded by restaurant people for restaurant people. Griffin explained that their decision to establish a charity modeled on The Giving Kitchen program in Atlanta is their way to assist members of the hospitality industry who find themselves in hard times, just as Southern Soul and its employees were following the fire.

The mission of The Firebox Initiative is to provide grants to employees of the hospitality community in Coastal Georgia. It helps service industry employees who are in financial need because of an illness, accident, or due to natural disaster. It will also provide direct grants to restaurant employees who need assistance paying for funeral arrangements for immediate family members. Their goal is to additionally be able to provide local scholarship opportunities to qualified applicants. The more funds donated to this cause and raised to benefit it, the more assistance they will be able to provide. The 2^nd Annual BBQ on the Bluff Invitational, born out of a prior St. Simons Food + Spirits Festival event, will take place from October 4-6 to provide raise funds for The Firebox Initiative.

The Invitational will open with the signature Pitmaster Dinner at Southern Soul Barbeque that highlights often exotic culinary creations from their kitchen, smokers, and smokehouse complemented by Wild Heaven beers and the fine spirits of Virgil Kaine. This year, special guest Lowcountry chef BJ Dennis will add his talents to the dinner. Other events will include an evening of fire-roasted oysters and a morning pop-up with Back in the Day Bakery featuring biscuits and Bloodys pairings. Some of the finest barbecue talent in the world will be sharing their expertise in the afternoon Pit Class and then you can taste their handiwork during the evening’s Firebox BBQ on the Bluff main event.

To enjoy every single morsel and sip the BBQ on the Bluff Invitational has to offer over the three days of events, purchase a Full Pass for $225, giving you an all-inclusive ticket for each of the five events. If you can’t attend everything, tickets are available for each event separately. Keep reading for more detailed information about the scheduled events and ticket pricing. At the very least, you’ll want to come out Saturday night, because a gathering of this caliber of talent and the flavors from the fire that they offer are not to be missed!

Just take a look at the incredible line-up of participants for this year’s events!

17th Street Barbecue

Amy Mills

Barbecue heiress Amy Mills, daughter of barbecue legend Mike Mills, is considered the industry’s go-to girl for all things barbecue. She is the James Beard Award-nominated co-author of “Peace, Love and Barbecue,” a television personality, and a branding, marketing and PR pro. Her company, OnCue Consulting, offers premiere barbecue industry education and she consults with restaurants and barbecuers world-wide. Amy divides her time between Boston, Southern Illinois and barbecue destinations across the country.

Mike Mills

Known on the professional barbecue circuit as "The Legend," Mike Mills was honored with the Pioneer of Barbecue award at the Jack Daniel's World Invitational Barbecue Cooking Contest and inducted into the Barbecue Hall of Fame. In the early 90s, he was co-captain of the Apple City Barbecue team, one of the most celebrated teams ever on the circuit. In addition to presiding over the pits at his two nationally acclaimed 17th Street Barbecue restaurants in Southern Illinois, this 4-time World Champion and 3-time Grand World Champion is also the barbecue guru at and a partner in Blue Smoke restaurant and a founding partner in Memphis Championship Barbecue. The book he co-authored with daughter Amy, “Peace, Love, and Barbecue,” was nominated for a 2006 James Beard Foundation award and received the 2006 National Barbecue Association Award of Excellence.

B’s Cracklin’ BBQ

Bryan Furman

Bryan Furman is livin’ the dream, having left his job as a welder to pursue cooking his

signature-style pit smoked barbecue, chicken and ribs. What began as a fun idea to celebrate his daughter’s first birthday by roasting a hog for family and friends, turned into order requests from his co-workers. To set his smoke joint apart, Bryan raises local Heritage hogs and makes his own side dishes using locally-sourced, fresh produce. B’s Cracklin’ BBQ’s first building opened in 2014 but tragically burned in 2015, just after being named to a Top 50 list of The South’s Best BBQ by Southern Living. Now back in business and humbled by their experience, Bryan and his wife, Nikki, extend heartfelt thanks to some amazingly generous people who have helped to make their return possible.

Back in the Day Bakery

Cheryl & Griff Day

Cheryl Day is a self-taught artisan baker who established Back in the Day Bakery in

Savannah, Georgia in 2002. Back in the Day Bakery has been recognized nationally and locally for its handcrafted Southern inspired desserts, artisan breads, as well as the warm and friendly atmosphere that has made them a Savannah food landmark. Cheryl and her husband Griffith have received many awards throughout the years including being nominated in 2015 for a James Beard Award in the category of Outstanding Bakers. Cheryl and Griff currently have two best-selling cookbooks: “The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook” and “Back in the Day Bakery Made with Love” published by Artisan Books.

Blackjack Barbecue

Jimmy Hagood

For Jimmy Hagood, Food for the Southern Soul™ isn’t just the name of his specialty food and

catering business; it is his way of life. As a barbecue impresario and an advocate of coastal South Carolina’s unique culinary culture, he has brought national visibility to the art of barbecue cooking, and further elevated high-quality Southern pantry items. A former insurance advisor and weekend culinary creative, Hagood took his food focus full-time in 2002, trading his briefcase for a 27ft long barbecue rig to launch his catering, specialty foods, and restaurant businesses. Hagood has combined all his talents in producing and distributing his Blackjack Barbecue and Charleston Favorites product lines. Hagood is keeping the tradition of soulful Southern food alive in local and national retail outlets and online.

Buxton Hall BBQ

Elliot Moss

Growing up in Florence, South Carolina, where mom and pop 'cue joints reigned supreme,

Elliot Moss gained a deep appreciation of the art of smoke. He has vivid memories of his grandfather setting up block pits to feed the neighborhood whole hog on special occasions, while helping his grandmother stir kettles of chicken bog and his father saucing barbecued chicken and hogs on the family smoker. It’s no wonder this son of the South has vinegar mop running in his veins. Moss moved to Asheville in 2007 to help open The Admiral Restaurant, garnering acclaim throughout the South for his creative and eclectic fare. After being nominated for Best Chef Southeast through the James Beard Foundation in 2013, he left to chase his barbecue dreams.

Certified Burgers & Beverage

David Carrier

New York City native David Carrier grew up in his parents’ Queens restaurant. After

graduating from the French Culinary Institute, he moved to California to work with Thomas Keller at the French Laundry. His first stint in Chicago was under Grant Achatz at Trio. He later moved to Florida with his wife and helped kickstart the Panhandle scene with their Apalachicola restaurant Avenue Sea. In 2009, David brought a taste of the South back to Chicago, launching a Southern comfort-food movement at Kith & Kin. After five years at The Cloister and The Beach Club on Sea Island, David opened Certified Burgers and Beverage on St. Simons Island, creating a unique casual dining experience focused on locally and regionally sourced ingredients that are fresh and flavorful “from grinder-to-griddle.”

Chef Belinda

Belinda Smith-Sullivan

In addition to being a chef, Belinda Smith-Sullivan is the producer of Chef Belinda Spices, a

food writer, and a pilot. A native Chicagoan who gave up a corporate career with The Coca-Cola Company to pursue her passion and lifelong dream, Belinda obtained her Culinary Arts degree from Johnson & Wales University and has experienced the cuisine of many cultures, living in France, Kenya, and South Africa. A member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, American Culinary Federation, Southern Foodways Alliance, Association of Food Journalists, Belinda was inducted into Les Dames d’Escoffier International in 2015. She is the monthly food columnist for South Carolina Living and Aiken’s Bella magazine, and will be launching a peach cookbook published by Gibbs Smith in March 2019.

Cool Smoke

Tuffy Stone

Known as a judge and host on TV's BBQ Pitmasters, accomplished pitmaster Tuffy Stone

might be considered the most successful guy on the competitive barbecue circuit, having earned Grand Champion titles in nearly every major barbecue competition. Tuffy is the head cook on the team “Cool Smoke” and co-owns four Q Barbeque restaurants and Rancho T in Richmond, VA. A classically trained French chef, Tuffy was best known in his "pre-barbecue days" as one of the premiere caterers in Virginia and the co-owner and proprietor of A Sharper Palate Catering. In 2013 Stone took home two World Champion titles while only cooking eight contests and followed up with another World Championship title, winning the American Royal Open. Since then, Tuffy has won contests all over the country, including earning Grand Champion honors at the Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational and the Kingsford Invitational.

Davis Love Foundation

Davis Love III

Two-time Ryder Cup Captain, 21-time PGA Tour winner, and World Golf Hall of Famer Davis

Love III is one of the most recognized and respected players in golf today, but he might be as passionate about the fire as he is the fairway. Love is part-owner of Southern Soul Barbeque and captain of his own DL3 BBQ Team. Davis and his brother Mark own and operate Love Golf Design where they have renovated courses such as Forest Oaks Country Club in Greensboro, NC and the Retreat Course at Sea Island Resort. Davis and his wife Robin founded the Davis Love Foundation which supports both national and community-based programs that focus on children and their families. Since 2010, the Davis Love Foundation has been serving as the host organization for The RSM Classic PGA Tour event on St. Simons Island while Love III is the Tournament Chairman.

Firebox Guest Chef at Large

Benjamin “BJ” Dennis

A true Lowcountry original, personal chef and caterer Benjamin “BJ” Dennis was born and

raised in Charleston, SC, and is known for infuse the region’s flavors and culture into his Gullah-Geechee cuisine. Dennis incorporates techniques used by his ancestors, learned from four years of study in St. Thomas, as well as lessons from his grandparents about eating from the land, to create fresh interpretations of regional dishes using in-season, locally-sourced vegetables and seafood. Holding degrees in hospitality/tourism management and culinary arts from the Culinary Institute of Charleston, BJ has worked in a number of award-winning Southern dining establishments including Carolinas, Anson’s, Oak Steakhouse, Hank’s Seafood, and 82 Queen. His cuisine has been featured in events including the BB&T Wine+Food Festival, Cook It Raw and Meatopia and pop-up dinners at establishments including Butcher & Bee, Elliotborough MiniBar and Proof.

Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q

Jonathan and Justin Fox

Growing up in Texas, Jonathan and Justin Fox were inspired by open sky, Texas heat, and

southern spice. Jonathan got serious about cooking when he moved to Atlanta and Justin followed shortly thereafter. In 2004, the brothers were introduced to Dan and Beau Nolen, and Mike Reeves of Smith’s Olde Bar and went from backyard barbecuing to cooking at Smith’s and catering events. That partnership took their business to the next level with Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q opening on Dekalb Avenue in 2007. In 2012, disaster struck when a 100-year-old tree fell on the restaurant’s dining rooms. The community support was overwhelming, and with that help, Jonathan and Justin were able to reopen in less than 48 hours. Today Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q is an Atlanta mainstay and a southeastern favorite featured on Good Day Atlanta, CBS Better Mornings, TLC, HGTV, and The Food Network.

Gilbert’s Underground Kitchen

Kenny Gilbert

Though many locals may know Kenny Gilbert from his days as Executive Chef at The Lodge,

where he cooked for the G8 Summit, he gained nationwide popularity as an instantly likeable Season 7 cheftestant on Top Chef. Throughout his career Kenny has traveled the world, staging in top restaurants in Japan, Spain, France, and the Caribbean. He has participated in wine & food festivals around the US, and cooked at the James Beard House, as well as for numerous celebrities and special events. He was a contestant on the Food Network’s Cutthroat Kitchen and is often featured on television and in print media. In March 2015, Kenny and his wife Anna opened Gilbert’s Underground Kitchen in Fernandina Beach, featuring seasonal deep Southern cuisine. His culinary endeavors also include Gilbert’s Social in Jacksonville, and Gilbert’s Southern Kitchen + Bar, Gilbert’s Hot Chicken, and Seachasers Lounge in Jacksonville Beach.

Holy City Hogs

Tank Jackson

Tank Jackson is the head cook for Holy City Hogs, a heritage hog and pastured laying hen

farm operation with farms in South Carolina and Georgia that is owned and operated by his wife, Christian. Holy City Hogs supplies the finest restaurants and also offers direct to consumer sales as well as whole hog barbecue catering. Their motto: “We breed the best and eat the rest.” The high quality of their meats is a result of the hogs living complete and fulfilling lives outside in their natural habitat freely rooting, running and frolicking as a herd and the Jacksons’ herd management standards. Holy City Hogs strives to ensure a place on the Southern table for the Ossabaw Island Pig and the American Mulefoot for generations to come.

Home Team BBQ

Taylor Garrigan

After a stint at the University of Mississippi, Taylor Garrigan began cooking with his brother,

Todd, a chef at Dick & Harry’s in Atlanta. He moved to Charleston to attend Johnson & Wales University, working at Magnolias, and Middleton Plantation. After graduating with a degree in hotel and restaurant management, he worked with chefs that included Paul Tensly and Tom Colicchio at The Beach Club at Kiawah Island. He became friends with Aaron Siegel, working together with him on the concept for Home Team BBQ. Starting as sous chef at West Ashley and then Executive Chef on Sullivan’s Island, Taylor has worked his way up to Executive Chef/Partner over all Home Team BBQ restaurants. In June 2015, Taylor won Episode 13 of Season 23 of Food Network’s “Chopped,” and also represented Home Team BBQ on Cooking Channel’s “Late Nite Eats” in 2017.

Aaron Siegel

An Atlanta native and UGA graduate, Aaron “Fiery Ron” Siegel moved to NYC after college to

attend The Culinary Institute of America. After an internship at Atlanta’s Nava under acclaimed Chef Kevin Rathbun, he graduated with his culinary degree and moved to Aspen where he worked as a sous chef at popular restaurants Pinion’s and Cache Cache. He returned to the South as the Executive Chef at Blossom Café in Charleston, working closely with Executive Chef Craig Diehl at sister restaurant Cypress and learned more about smoking meats and developing a charcuterie program. Then, together with partners Taylor Garrigan, Tony McKie, and Madison Ruckel, he opened his barbecue concept, Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ, in West Ashley. Following years hard work and dedicated service, Home Team BBQ’s partners have expanded, with locations on Sullivan’s Island, downtown Charleston, and Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen.

Hometown Bar-B-Que

Billy Durney

After almost 20 years in security and private protection, Brooklyn native Billy Durney has

fulfilled a longtime dream by taking the helm as pitmaster and owner at Hometown Bar-B-Que. Since first learning to smoke meat as a youngster during visits to his grandparents’ cabin in rural Pennsylvania and then cooking for family in friends in the backyard, Billy has spent years obsessing over his barbecue, traveling around the US and abroad perfecting his techniques. “I love cooking with wood, and I love manipulating flavors,” he says. “I’m just trying to cook the best bite I can cook. I don’t know what to call it. We’re doing it in Brooklyn, and I’m very proud to be part of that community.”

Mama Jean’s Barbecue

Madison Ruckel

Raised in Destin, FL, Madison Ruckel followed his love of live music and family history to

Charleston, where he studied culinary arts at Johnson and Wales. In 2006, he began his journey with Home Team BBQ. Through years of hard work and the mentorship of Chef Aaron Seigel, he became a proper pitmaster. His passion for live fire cooking been inspired by the barbecue community and the invaluable experience he has gained at international events from London to Sao Paulo to Dublin where he served as a featured chef. With sights set on his wife’s hometown of Roanoke, Virginia, Madison left Home Team BBQ in February of this year and aims to bring his passion for live fire cooking to Big Lick. Mama Jean’s Barbeque is on the horizon.

Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint

Pat Martin

Pat Martin learned the art and craft of West Tennessee-style smoke and meat 25 years ago in

the tiny town of Henderson, before making Nashville his home. It became a consuming passion that led to him opening the first Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint in Nolensville, just south of Nashville. Today, there are four locations in the Nashville area. Just as Pat learned the nuances of whole-hog barbecue through years of hands-on experience, his crew of pitmasters also spend time apprenticing before they’re trusted in the pit. The intuition it takes to make good barbecue is not something that is developed overnight. Pat is a member of the famed Fatback Collective, a philanthropic group of restaurateurs, pit masters, chefs, farmers, and writers who strive to help others in times of need in the diverse and modern South.

Peg Leg Porker

Carey Bringle

Nashville native Carey Bringle was groomed for barbecue competition at a young age by his uncle, Bruce, who competed in the very first Memphis World Championship Barbecue Contest. He’s now been cooking in the Superbowl of Swine for over 25 years. After losing his right leg to Osteogenic Sarcoma, Carey emerged with a new perspective and renewed outlook on life, believing every day brings a new adventure, and most importantly, the chance to eat more great food. It’s this zest for life, and sense of humor that led Carey and his wife Delaniah to start Peg Leg Porker catering and open the restaurant in 2013. Peg Leg Porker has won numerous awards and is often named to “Best BBQ” lists. Carey has twice been asked to cook at the prestigious James Beard House.

Stephen Dresch

Never far from Carey Bringle’s side at Peg Leg Porker is General Manager Stephen Dresch. Dubbed Carey’s “right leg man,” Dresch, who is a master welder by trade, uses that skill to help build, repair, and customize smokers, and also serves as fire man for the team when on the road.

Sam Jones BBQ

Sam Jones

Known as an honest, hardworking guy who is passionate about barbecue, loves people, his hometown, and what he does, Sam Jones is the third generation to cook traditional whole hog barbecue. Since Sam’s family opened Skylight Inn BBQ in Ayden, NC in 1947, they have always stayed true to what has made them what they are: standard bearers for wood-cooked eastern NC-style barbecue. Skylight Inn and Sam Jones BBQ, as well as Sam himself, have been mentioned among the greats when it comes to legendary barbecue joints and pitmasters in many publications and TV shows. In 2003, Skylight Inn received a James Beard award for “America’s Classic” In 2015, Sam opened his own restaurant, Sam Jones BBQ, in Winterville, NC. From the smell of the smokehouse to the freshness of the food, it heralds the future of eastern NC barbecue.

Michael Letchworth

Michael Letchworth started on the barbecue path at age 14 when he became friends with a young Sam Jones. The following year, he began working after school at Sam’s family’s Skylight Inn BBQ, doing everything there that needed to be done all through his high school and college days. In 2010, when Michael was a senior at ECU, completing his degree in construction management, the company he was interning with offered him a job and he departed the world of sauce and smokers. But while attending an event with Sam a few year later, he discovered the spark of that proverbial fire had never really gone out. Traveling the circuit reignited Michael’s passion for barbecue and, in 2013, he and Sam partnered up to

Southern Soul Barbeque

Harrison Sapp & Griffin Bufkin

Southern Soul Barbeque owners Griffin Bufkin and Harrison Sapp, are the masterminds behind the St. Simons Island smoke joint that Southern Living named Georgia’s Best BBQ Joint, one of The South’s 10 Best Barbecue Joints, and 2017 and 2018 holder of the coveted title of The South’s Best Barbecue Joint. Pitmaster Harrison makes sure the fires are always stoked and Proprietor Griffin keeps the atmosphere lively, full of good music, culinary creativity, and a heavy dose of Southern culture. Nationally acclaimed for good reason, Southern Soul Barbeque has been featured on the Food Network and the Travel Channel, in the Wall Street Journal, Garden & Gun, and has received too many accolades to mention. This corner gas station turned restaurant also makes and sells its own line of products including award-winning barbecue sauces, hot sauces, spice blends, smoked bacon, bologna and more.

John Helfrich

Pennsylvania native John Helfrich attended Johnson and Wales in Providence, RI. From a Sous Chef position at Nemacolin Woodlands in Farmington, PA, John’s path led him to Sea Island where he was on the opening team as Sous Chef of the Lodge and later served as Executive Banquet Chef. In 2008, John was promoted to Executive Chef of the Lodge and Retreat, where he oversaw the culinary program until his move to Southern Soul Barbeque in June 2015.

Swig & Swine BBQ

Anthony DiBernardo

Born and raised in Mantua, NJ, Anthony DiBernardo entered the culinary world as a banquet

cook at age 14. The US Navy later brought him to the Lowcountry and it is here that he’s stayed for nearly 25 years. After four years as a cook on the USS Batfish submarine, Anthony worked in the kitchen at Blossom Café. He has served as Executive Chef at Kiawah Island Resort, Corporate Executive Chef at Mustard Seed, and Operating Partner and Head Chef at Rita’s. Anthony incorporated barbecue dishes into the menu during each of his culinary ventures, and that passion caught fire when he started his own barbecue catering business. He opened Swig & Swine BBQ in collaboration with Queen Street Hospitality Group in 2013.

Virgil Kaine

David Szlam

Virgil Kaine Lowcountry Whiskey Co. founder and CEO David Szlam understands the food and beverage industry in its entirety. Educated at College of Charleston and later the California Culinary Academy, Szlam was prompted by his passion for whiskey to transition out of the kitchen and create Virgil Kaine in 2011. It is here that he applies his culinary experiences to the art of blending whiskey in order to create unique flavor profiles. The company’s name is inspired by Virgil Kaine, a man who, in theory, did not let tradition and the influence of his surroundings make him succumb to the visions of the Old South.

Wild Heaven Beer

Sarah Young

According to Sarah Young, she was born in DC and grew up for a bit in southern Maryland, before moving south to Greensboro, NC. She then flew even farther south to Atlanta after graduating from UGA in 2006. As Director of Sales for Wild Heaven, Sarah is focused on spreading the good word about the popular craft brew brand through sales and marketing throughout Georgia, Chattanooga and Nashville, TN.

Schedule of Events/Single Event Ticket Pricing

All events will be held under the Spanish moss-draped oak canopy of Gascoigne Bluff with the exception of Thursday night’s Pitmaster Dinner at Southern Soul Barbeque.

October 4

Southern Soul Barbeque’s Pitmaster Dinner 7:30 – 10:00 p.m.

Sponsored by Virgil Kaine and Wild Heaven Beer

The boozy BBQ kickoff event to the weekend’s FIREBOX festivities. This year, celebrated Chef Benjamin “BJ” Dennis out of Charleston, SC will join the Southern Soul crew in the kitchen and smokehouse as they lay out a spread that pairs up perfectly with Wild Heaven Beer’s taps and the Virgil Kaine bourbon portfolio. On the beverage tip, joining us for the fifth consecutive year, is Sarah Young with the award-winning Wild Heaven Beer out of Avondale Estates, GA, and returning for the third year, Mr. David Szlam, proprietor of the outstanding Virgil Kaine Lowcountry Whiskey Co., purveyors of fine bourbons and rye. This is an all-inclusive event with all food & beverage tastings included in the ticket price. Tickets are $50 per person.

October 5

The Firebox Oyster Cracker

7:00 – 11:00 p.m.

Sponsored by Piedmont Brewing, Sea Island Forge and Union Wine Co.

Grab an oyster knife and prepare to start cracking open all-you-can-shuck-and-eat briny, local McIntosh fire-roasted oysters, the gold standard in the Golden Isles for oyster roasts. Our friends at Piedmont Brewing have brewed a traditional oyster stout specially for the occasion and the Pitmasters are cooking up some smoky seafood dishes as well. Pass the saltines and cocktail sauce and start crackin’! All-inclusive ticket $50 per person.

October 6

Back in the Day on the Bluff; Coffee, Biscuits & Bloodys

10 a.m. – 12: 00 p.m.

Sponsored by Back in the Day Bakery, Blackjack Barbecue and Wake Up Coffee

Rise and shine with the Pitmasters and Cheryl & Griff Day from Savannah’s Back in The Day Bakery. It’s a good morning indeed with homemade buttermilk biscuits accompanied by pulled pork, house-made sausages, jams, jellies, and other surprises in front of the fire. Of course there will also be fresh, hot coffee drinks from Wake Up Coffee and a Bloody Mary bar stocked and served by Food For The Southern Soul, the team behind Mr. Jimmy’s Pick-Me-Up Bloody Mary Mix. All-inclusive ticket $25 per person.

Pit Class: Day Smoking

1:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Sponsored by Peg Leg Porker, Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Pit Class: Day Smoking brings you the secrets of world-class Pitmasters from around the South during this exciting mid-day class. Enjoy seasoning, sauces, and special tips from the best in the barbecue business. Attendees will also get to sample fare from the Pitmasters and beverage partners All-inclusive ticket $75 per person.

Firebox BBQ on the Bluff

7:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Sponsored by Arches Brewing, Holy City Hogs, Southern Soul Barbeque, and Union Wine Co.

The Big Event features an evening of expertly wood-fired BBQ under the mighty oaks of Gascoigne Bluff. While the sun sets over the Frederica River, whole hogs, slabs of spare ribs, juicy pork butts, beef briskets, a variety of local seafood, homemade sausage, sides, plus a whole lot more, will be smoked and served by some of the best Pitmasters from around the South and beyond. You’ll have the opportunity to meet the meat masters and a few extra special guests while you listen to live music by Todd Nance & Friends and sip award-winning spirits, craft beer and wine, and stroll historic grounds that were once home to a Sea Island cotton plantation, lumber mill and shipping point for timber. The Cpt. Gabby, a vintage 42 ft. wooden trawler, converted and outfitted as a kayak cruiser, will be anchored in the river offering kayak fishing from the pier. All-inclusive ticket $50 per person.

Tickets are on sale now for this three-day invitational that supports the members of our community who serve us. You'll be able to attend by purchasing single tickets to your preferred event(s) or enjoy the whole festival with a VIP Pass for $225 that includes food and beverage tastings at all five events. Tickets to each event include all food and beverage tastings. Kids 12 and under are admitted free of charge to all events, however, please bear in mind that these are events where alcohol is being served and may not be appropriate for children.

For more detailed information about the Firebox Initiative and the BBQ on the Bluff Invitational in October, as well as links to the social media sites and ticket sales for the event, visit ssbbqfirebox.com. You’re definitely going to want to put this smokin’ fundraiser on your calendar, because it’s going to be on fire – in the very best way!