Get ready to fire up your taste buds and embrace the blues as St. Bernard Prep School in Cullman proudly presents the 8th Annual Bernard Blues & BBQ Arts & Crafts Festival on Sept. 7-8. The weekend will feature mouthwatering barbecue, artisanal crafts, and soul-stirring blues music. 

The festival promises a sizzling spectacle with dozens of Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) Backyard Cook teams igniting the school parking lot in heated battles of BBQ chicken and ribs. Talented teams from across the Southeastern United States will compete in the 2nd Annual Bernard Blues and BBQ Competition, earning points on the KSBS circuit. Many will be vying for glory in the epic Battle Royal with five other competitions in Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia.

The excitement kicks off on Friday evening, Sept. 6, with a sanctioned one-meat chicken contest. On Saturday, teams will go head-to-head in a backyard competition featuring chicken and ribs, highlighting their culinary prowess. 

Artisans will transform the campus into a vibrant marketplace, offering a treasure trove of handmade wares and specialty food items. Attendees can savor delectable treats like fresh-baked goods, strawberry waffles, fresh-squeezed lemonade, classic monks’ bread, cookies, and, of course, BBQ chicken, ribs, and pulled pork. Save room for a funnel cake, an ice cream cone, or half a dozen mini donuts.

The festival lineup includes four fabulous blues bands set to perform throughout the weekend. Kicking off on Saturday morning from 10 a.m. to noon is the incredible Elnora Spencer from Birmingham. Following her performance, Kingfish will take the stage from noon until 2 p.m. On Sunday, from noon until 2 p.m., Debbie Bond and Radiator Rick of Tuscaloosa will entertain the crowd, followed by Earl Williams and the Juke Band from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m.

Festival Director Joyce Nix expressed her excitement, saying, "We have a fantastic lineup of artisans, and I'm sure everyone will find special gifts for Christmas, birthdays, or simply because they like it."

Festival t-shirts and sweepstakes tickets are available for early purchase on the festival website or at the school’s Administration Building office. Do not miss the chance to win over $10,000 in cash prizes during the sweepstakes drawing at 4 p.m. on Sunday. 

Nix emphasized the importance of these festivals, stating, "The school relies on the festivals held annually at St. Bernard to carry out our mission to cultivate a love of learning and a life of virtue in young men and women within a community of faith and scholarship."

The festival is staffed by dedicated volunteers, including students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of St. Bernard, and is generously supported by the community and sponsors, including Alabama Senator Garlan Gudger, State Representatives Corey Harbison and Randall Shedd, LeafFilter, O.F. Richter & Sons, Eidson and Associates, Pepsi, The Flying Carpet, Mitch Smith Chevrolet, Merchants Bank, Visit Cullman, Kassouf & Co., Cullman Jefferson Gas, Cullman Cosmetic Dentistry, First Community Bank, Citizens Bank, and Wal-Mart Distribution. 

An admission donation of $10 is requested, and children 12 and under are free. No pets please. The festival will take place rain or shine. The school is located at 1600 St. Bernard Drive, Southeast. For more information, please visit http://stbernardprep.com/bernard-blues-bbq/.