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The Pensacola egg fest sucks.

I consider myself an expert at having fun and that eggfest was not fun. It was expensive and everything had a long line for cold food. 

I even got free free beer and my best friend from school was a cook. 

I wouldnt go go next year if it was free never mind pay the $35 per person. 
Be careful, man! I've got a beverage here.
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Comments

  • Yea really. They wanted $50 to cook. 

    There was no place to gather or hang out. Everywhere you went you were in someone's way. 
    Be careful, man! I've got a beverage here.
  • Hotch
    Hotch Posts: 3,564
    edited November 2016
    The Eggfests in Texas do not ask for the cooks to pay. And they are extremely supportive of the Cooks. Most will have a local grocery store as a sponsor and provide a gift card to help with the cost of food. We get excellent support from the Eggfest retail dealers and the Regional BGE Distributor, Paragon.
    We have traveled to other Eggfests and had a great time. But I think we will stay here in Texas and travel for the Egghead and BBQ Brethren events.
    Large BGE, MiniMAX BGE, 2 Mini BGE's, R&V Fryer, 36" Blackstone Griddle, Camp Chef Dual Burner 40K BTU Stove
    BGE Chiminea
    Prosper, TX
  • I see that moving back home has done nothing to quell your penchant for being direct :lol:

    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
    edited November 2016
    I've got two on the radar that are top notch, Hearth and Patio in Peoria, and Prescott's BBQ Shop in Sterling.  Out and back same day for both.  Peoria gives you a big bag of lump for being a cook, really cool gesture. Prescott's gave out the best cook's goodie bag I have ever received this year.  

    I don't like to pay to play, but have at GA MTN, and don't mind dropping some cash on food to give out.  My way of giving back to the old school mom and pop brick and mortars, for the great service I'm fortunate enough to receive.  

    Always surprised at the amount of people who have an egg, but don't really use it to its full potential.  Love teaching them new things to try at home, like pizza.  

    I enjoy the egga hangouts too, Frozen Fest for example.  2, or so a year for me is more than enough.  I am overdue for a GA MTN visit to support John and Hiawassee Hardware, maybe next year.  
    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

  • As Aaron Rodgers might say, R-E-L-A-X. The Trumpster is gonna make Eggfests great again.
  • YukonRon
    YukonRon Posts: 16,984
    Paying $50 for the privilege of spending the day giving away food I bought to promote a product that I have no financial interest in to people who paid an admission fee....Hell no. 

    Eggheadforum events are the way to go. Nothing better than cooking and hanging out with friends. 
    Infinitely better. I absolutely agree. For me, you could cook over a fire pit, (and we have) as long as your friends are there. I have not had a better experience anywhere, at any Eggfest.
    "Knowledge is Good" - Emil Faber

    XL and MM
    Louisville, Kentucky
  • thetrim
    thetrim Posts: 11,352
    Nice rant, @travisstrick you are a "Go" at my station!  Well done!!!  See you at the next Brisket Camp. 
    =======================================
    XL 6/06, Mini 6/12, L 10/12, Mini #2 12/14 MiniMax 3/16 Large #2 11/20 Legacy from my FIL - RIP
    Tampa Bay, FL
    EIB 6 Oct 95
  • Dickson's BBQ in Toronto hosts the fest here and does things correctly.  Although they charge 50 bucks to cook, they redeem that fee to your credit card first thing in the morning before the fest kicks off.  I guess it's to guarantee you show up to cook.  On top of that they send you a $200 gift certificate from a local butcher to offset your meat costs.  How's that for a dealee-o?
     
    That sounds like a great dealer.
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    Photo Egg said:
     It's not a completion. It should be a teaching and learning event about cooking on the Egg. Just my opinion, and that's not worth beans.
    Darian - I said basically the same thing last week when a newbie was asking what to expect at an eggfest. In my opinion an Eggfest should be a FunFest - NOT a contest. 
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • bgebrent
    bgebrent Posts: 19,636
    Come join us for Butt Blast, it doesn't suck!  Sounds like a lousy fest for sure.
    Sandy Springs & Dawsonville Ga
  • gabriegger
    gabriegger Posts: 682
    edited November 2016
    @Semolina Pilchard Yup great dealer. Family owned hardware store with BBQ side biz.  So good in fact a couple of years ago after working a deal with the city for free parking, everyone ended up with parking tickets.  The Dickson boys offered to pay all the tickets and redeem receipts for those who paid their own.  Fest is no contest with cooks and helpers running around feeding other cooks throughout the day.  Class act all the way.

    the city above Toronto - Noodleville wtih 2 Large 1 Mini

  • bgebrent said:
    Come join us for Butt Blast, it doesn't suck!  Sounds like a lousy fest for sure.

    If I can find my way, I might surprise you and show up.   I want to see if those cooks you have been posted are real or photo shopped...........

    Large egg and mini max egg plus a Blackstone griddle

    South Ga. cooking fool !!!!!!!!

  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    Dickson's BBQ in Toronto hosts the fest here and does things correctly.  Although they charge 50 bucks to cook, they redeem that fee to your credit card first thing in the morning before the fest kicks off.  I guess it's to guarantee you show up to cook.  On top of that they send you a $200 gift certificate from a local butcher to offset your meat costs.  How's that for a dealee-o?
     
    This is sweet. One I did 2 years ago did something similar. No signup charge, but a $75 visa gift card and a $75 gift card to their shop.
  • gmac
    gmac Posts: 1,814
    Dickson's BBQ in Toronto hosts the fest here and does things correctly.  Although they charge 50 bucks to cook, they redeem that fee to your credit card first thing in the morning before the fest kicks off.  I guess it's to guarantee you show up to cook.  On top of that they send you a $200 gift certificate from a local butcher to offset your meat costs.  How's that for a dealee-o?
     
    If your one of the first to sign up. The gift certificate is nice but I'm not sure everyone gets it. I would like to do a cook at TO eggfest one day but the big city scares me. Plus I admit I struggle with the concept of spending my whole day promoting a product for someone else (even if it was net neutral, I lost a day I could be drinking...:)  ). 

    Mt Elgin Ontario - just a Large.
  • I would love to see someone do an Eggfest in Jacksonville, Fl.
    Marshall in Beautiful Fruit Cove, FL.
    MiniMax 04/17
    Unofficial BGE MiniMax Evangelist
    Facebook Big Green Egg MiniMax Owners Group


  • bgebrent said:
    Come join us for Butt Blast, it doesn't suck!  Sounds like a lousy fest for sure.

    If I can find my way, I might surprise you and show up.   I want to see if those cooks you have been posted are real or photo shopped...........
    Brent's cooks aren't photo-shopped, I can attest to that.  It's just that nobody believes he did them on his own.  
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
  • texaswig
    texaswig Posts: 2,682
    I'm not down with paying to cook after all the other cost to help someone else make money. If it's going to a charity thats a little different. And depends on the charity. 

    2-XLs ,MM,blackstone,Ooni koda 16,R&V works 8.5 gallon fryer,express smoker and 40" smoking cajun 

    scott 
    Greenville Tx
  • @gmac redeemed monies and meat certs are for cooks.  Big city no
    biggy.  I was freaked after registering to cook but it was a great experience.  Between losing a day and time drinking, the only thing ya lose there is a day.  But ya really don't.  "Gnome sayin?'"

    the city above Toronto - Noodleville wtih 2 Large 1 Mini

  • gmac
    gmac Posts: 1,814
    @gmac redeemed monies and meat certs are for cooks.  Big city no
    biggy.  I was freaked after registering to cook but it was a great experience.  Between losing a day and time drinking, the only thing ya lose there is a day.  But ya really don't.  "Gnome sayin?'"
    Glad you liked it. I will consider for next year. Assume you mean I can drink... :)  Will have to take the subway over to Scarborough. I am sure rolling an egg on will be easy (because I am easily influenced and will likely buy another one). 
    Mt Elgin Ontario - just a Large.
  • northGAcock
    northGAcock Posts: 15,164
    edited November 2016
    .....  Okay, maybe the last point is far fetched, but that's my story damnit.  
    Who you calling deplorable?
    Ellijay GA with a Medium & MiniMax

    Well, I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life,
    Run me out in the cold rain and snow
  • I would love to see someone do an Eggfest in Jacksonville, Fl.

    Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
    I am willing to assist someone but I have no idea how to organize one. Plus I have never been to one so I don't know what one should look like.

    But that is my style - If I can't go to the mountain then I bring the mountain to me.
    Marshall in Beautiful Fruit Cove, FL.
    MiniMax 04/17
    Unofficial BGE MiniMax Evangelist
    Facebook Big Green Egg MiniMax Owners Group


  • I would love to see someone do an Eggfest in Jacksonville, Fl.
    Word on the street is that one is coming soon...
  • We didn't go, but we talked about going.  Only there's too much going on in Texas with 5, going on 6 Eggfests a year, plus some other stuff Hotch stirred up.  But it sounds like we would not have enjoyed or had fun at the Pensacola Eggfest, especially after having to pay for cooking.  

    We keep good records on our 'Eggfest EGGventures' and even the close-by ones run upwards of $800 to $1,000.  The long-distance ones run $1,500 or more.  At the rate we're going, we'll have to start culling the Chicken Ranch 'Girls' down to just one, and shutting down the occasional free parties.

    Eggfests have grown to the point where one thousand tasters is not an exceptional crowd.  But it's manageable and still allows time for some fun for the Cooks.  

    Two thousand Tasters puts the Cooks to the test, usually cooking non-stop for ten hours.  But if the setting is right, the funds going to a good cause, and out-of-pocket expenses are manageable, it can be fun.  

    Photo Egg said:
    So many Eggfests are trying to copy a BBQ cook off format...Their goal is making money.
    They give away an Egg or other prizes to the most popular cooking team/teams.
    This goes against the open, friendly Eggfest theme that most of us are used to seeing. It's not a completion. It should be a teaching and learning event about cooking on the Egg. Just my opinion, and that's not worth beans.

    Darian, is right about some of the Eggfests.  Adding a 'competition' feature to the Eggfest is a turnoff to a lot of Cooks, especially the ones who have been doing Eggfests for years.  To us, it was all about the Egg and sharing our enthusiasm for the Egg with people who may one day be fortunate enough to own one because of our efforts.  Competing for a single prize diminishes the reward we all get for cooking and talking up the Big Green Egg.

    If anything, any prizes should be a simple drawing, limited to just the Cooks who bore the expense and put out the work.  Without the Cooks, it's just a small, boring picnic. 

    And while I'm on the subject, we're probably going to reduce our participation over the next few years to only 'Fund Raising' Eggfests.  No more profit motive Eggfests for us.  

    But I just work here.  What do I know?

    Spring "Time To Take Up Knitting" Chicken
    Spring Texas USA