The Shadow
Dear Editor,
The eighth annual Smokin’ With Smithfield Covington Cork and Pork Festival is in the books.
We would like to thank everyone for their participation in making the festival a great success.
We want to thank our sponsors who give of their resources to allow us to bring this festival to the public. Without you, this event would not be possible.
Those sponsors include: Smokin’ With Smithfield; Olde Town Covington; city of Covington; WestRock – Covington mill; WestRock – Low Moor Converting Plant; Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Tourism; Updike, Nicely & Crawford law firm; Ingevity; Boxley Materials Company; Williams Fabrication; The Rail Bar and Grille; Luca’s Pizza; Cucci’s Pizzeria; Commonwealth Arms; Jack Mason’s Tavern & Brewery; R.W. Vaught, Esq.; Chapman Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc.; Loving Funeral Home; Jackson River Community Credit Union.
Also, Bear Mountain Signs; RVAC Life & Retirement; Premier Bank; Salon Daze; D.D. Kerns Construction; Delta Electric; COV Designs; United Rentals; Atlantic Union Bank and the Virginian Review.
We also want to recognize Good News Christian Fellowship Church for the tables and chairs that were used during the festival in the food garden. We want to also thank Highlands Community Bank for their advertising the festival on their digital billboard. And thanks to Dollar Tree for always stocking needed items for the event.
We also want to thank the teams that give their all in making great BBQ and who come to town with great attitudes and ask for little and give back immensely.
We had teams from Virginia, Massachusetts, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Maryland and Georgia competing this year for the Grand Champion trophy.
We thank our vendors for coming and participating in the event. I hope you feel it was worth your time and effort to participate.
We are very thankful for the wonderful weather this year.
We want to thank our backyard competitors for a great showing. You made us proud with the product you supplied. We had two local competitors that also competed with the KCBS teams.
We also had a brand new local team of Hickory Bent & Rail Bound that, while they didn’t win the cooking competition, they certainly won the attention of all the teams with their unique, custom-made train smoker.
We also want to thank Tony Williams at Williams Fabrication for the beautiful trophies he custom made for the festival awards.
Also we want to thank the volunteers because without your help. This festival couldn’t have been what it was without you.
Also we appreciate the city of Covington crews that helped with anything and everything that was asked of them.
Additionally, we want to thank the community, businesses and residents for their support during the festival. We realize you were inconvenienced with streets being closed and having to walk to your favorite business on Main Street or in the Mid-City Mall lot.
We appreciate you coming out to eat, watching the dancers, listening to the music and also supporting the BBQ teams that travel from afar to compete here.
The Cork and Pork Festival continues to grow every year and we look forward to seeing what the future holds. Next year’s festival will take place on June 26-27, 2020!
See you there!
Sincerely,
Cindy Bryant
President
Olde Town Covington
