My last Eggtoberfest…

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.