The fifth edition of the 30A BBQ Festival, presented by 360 Blue, raised a record-breaking $103,228 for The Sonder Project.
The sold-out, annual event took place on Friday, November 8 at Grand Boulevard at Sandestin®, featuring 14 regional and local restaurants and catering companies, each competing for the title of “Best BBQ” chosen by the 800 guests in attendance. Participants included 3 Sons BBQ, Back Beach Barbecue, Camp Creek Inn, Cinders and Salt, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, Evie Mae’s Barbecue, Harry T’s, Local Smoke at The Big Chill, Marrow Private Chefs, The Perfect Pig, Sons of Amvets Post 29, Swiftly Catered, Uncle KU’s BarbeKU, and Vin’tij Food and Wine. After enjoying unlimited samples of signature barbecue, sponsored by Barker Williams and Shoreline Title, the following winners were chosen:
1st Place People’s Choice Award: Evie Mae’s Pit BBQ
2nd Place People’s Choice Award: Uncle KU’s BarbeKU
3rd Place People’s Choice Award: Vin’tij Food and Wine
A panel of judges also sampled the signature barbecue and chose their favorite overall “Judge’s Choice” winner:
Judge’s Choice Award: 3 Sons Bar-B-Q
Upon entry through the Carrot Top Designs Welcome Lounge, guests were greeted with a lawn filled with barbecue, live music from River Dan, a commemorative photo booth, sponsored by Esteem Wealth Partners, and complimentary seating provided by Jake’s Beach Service. In between bites of succulent barbecue, guests sipped on complimentary beer from Grayton Beer Company, who donated over 100 cases of beer, along with wine and water, courtesy of Grand Boulevard Arts and Entertainment. As each guest exited the festival, they were also gifted a complimentary grill kit, courtesy of 360 Blue.
The festival also showcased an extensive silent auction featuring a variety of items donated by community partners, including vacation stays, gift cards, gift baskets, jewelry, and much more. All proceeds raised from the silent auction, along with ticket sales and donations, went directly to The Sonder Project to support their mission to empower impoverished communities through high-impact, sustainable development by providing access to clean water, education, and sustainable agriculture. The $103,288 raised will make a huge impact and help The Sonder Project provide clean water for over 1,500 people, support 200 students living in extreme poverty to attend high school, provide food security and economic opportunity for 245 farmers, and much more.
“We are so grateful for the support of the South Walton community to help us empower communities and improve lives in Sub-Saharan Africa. It takes a village, and this village is strong. We can’t wait for next year,” Zibelman said.
Author: Sowal Editor
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