My last Eggtoberfest…

RdrGregory

Last weekend’s Eggtoberfest was my third (I also attended in 2018 and 2019), and it will possibly be my last. While many things were unchanged (great food, great beer, and the Marching Abominable), there were some unwelcome changes. 

Let’s start with the “gift bag.”  Recall that the advertisement said the ticket price included a commemorative t-shirt and a “special gift.”  In past years, the “swag bag” had a magazine with recipes, a BGE bandana, an Eggtoberfest cup, and some other helpful item - an apron, grill brush, or grill light. This year the bag contained a magazine and a cup. That’s it. So was the cup the “special gift?” Given the ticket price, this was downright stingy. 

In past years, there was an actual BGE store, set up under a tent. There you could buy anything Egg-related - books, spatulas, grates, even an extra-large Egg. The only actual new grilling implement available this year was a commemorative thermometer. 

The grilling demonstrations were lame. The focus was more on entertainment and product promotion than education. In past years the focus of the celebrity chefs was on teaching: Why this wood is best for smoking, why this spice is best for chicken, how to use foil to make the perfect brisket, etc. But not this year. 

I offer these comments in case others perhaps had a similar reaction. If this is how Eggtoberfests are to be in the future, I will have to consider whether paying such a steep ticket price and dealing with Atlanta traffic will be worth it. 

JohnInCarolina

Sorry to hear that.  When my wife and I attended this at Stone Mountain many years ago, the grab bag was really pretty good - a tshirt, cup, and other BGE swag.  I think we also received at least six drink tickets each.  That plus all you could eat from the cooks seemed more than worth the price of admission.  

I do think these things are worth attending at least once, just to see what they're like and get some ideas.  After that I would stick to the fests and gatherings that are much smaller, local, and free.  

Elijah

Hate to say it, but I agree. I could tell that something had shifted just based off of the information given prior to the event. I won't let it stop me from going, but I'm not as satisfied as I generally am after the eggtoberfest either. I don't go for the swag bag, but it was a cup. Not even a fancy cup 😂

Elijah

I will say the venue was better than asphalt in early October. Just to clarify, I still enjoyed it, but you can tell the focus has kind of shifted from food to making it a show.