October 14, 2017 For Next Jefferson Eggfest

The 2016 Jefferson Eggfest turned out so well that the date for the 2017 Eggfest was announced before all the tents were down and the Demo Eggs loaded.

So mark your calendar for October 14, 2017.

It should be a hoot.'

Jefferson Eggfest 2016

"Third time is the charm..." We've all heard that ancient phrase, and maybe even wondered if its true, but it is most certainly true for the Jefferson Eggfest this year.

This was the third, and possibly last Jefferson Eggfest for some of us if it didn't pick up with larger crowds and better weather. After all, each of us Cooks have to underwrite all of our own expenses to go help a far off town library survive. The first two years, attendance was so low that we Cooks could have just donated a portion of what we spent out of pocket and stayed home, and the library would still come out ahead.

But not this year. The weather was perfect, the mood was right and the word got out. The official estimate is 'something over 400' paying attendees. That's because they ran out of attendance bracelets at 400 and had to revert to temporary bracelets. I'm thinking 500 easy.

Even better, those 500 were very pleased that they came. There were lots of comments about how good the food was and about their first experience eating food cooked on a Big Green Egg smoker/grill. Lots of questions, and some actually decided on the spot to buy a Big Green Egg to take home.

Of course, everyone was encouraged and all of us are looking forward to next year. And, most important, the Library ended up with a sizable chunk of new funding to help them with their many community projects.

I took a number of photos and borrowed some from others who share their photos on social networks, and assembled them into a video which I promptly uploaded to YouTube. If you would like to take a look at the video, just click here: Jefferson Eggfest 2016 - The Movie

By the way, next year's event is already scheduled for October 14, 2017. Hope to see you there.

Grilling on the Bayou - 2016

If you would like to schedule an adventure where you can enjoy fresh-off-the-grill food, and talk to the cooks who cooked it, Jefferson, Texas is the place to do it on October 8th.  You can also see the very popular Big Green Egg ceramic smoker and grill in action as volunteer Egg Chefs cook a wide range of foods on the 'Egg.'

Mark your calendar now and we'll see you in Jefferson on October 8th..

Click here to visit the Jefferson Eggfest website:  http://jeffersoneggfest.com

Here's how to purchase tickets

Or here to sign up as a Volunteer Egg Chef

2016 Jefferson Eggfest Set

We now have a firm date for the 2016 Jefferson 'Grill'n on the Bayou' Eggfest - October 8th.  So start making your plans to be there.  Yes, its worth it.

More details will be forthcoming but we already know to make our reservations for lodging now.

See you in Jefferson next year.

The Jefferson Eggfest Was Fantastic

We're home. Supposedly rested, and all gear and clothing almost cleaned and put away. Now the 'calm' sets in and we begin to wonder about 'what's next?'

Here are some 'getting ready' photos.  It got busy later on and I didn't get a lot of photos.  Perhaps others will share their photos.

Notice the nice shady trees.  The shade works well.

It was really a good time for us and our Egghead Friends. We had fun.

The town of Jefferson was once the second largest town in Texas, after Galveston. Steamboats regularly came and went bringing westward bound travelers and goods to the furthest point west and took back cotton and other stuff, at least until the railroad came.

Historically, it was a very significant place back in the day. Now, it has a population of just over 2,000 and one of the most impressive collection of historic mansions anywhere. 

Instead of goods, the town now thrives on tourism, mostly on weekends. Tourists mix right in with the locals. Everyone there is friendly to the point of our thinking, "Why are these people so friendly?" But it's real and sincere without threat or asking you to spend more in their little town. They're just happy to have us there.

Of course, this year we Eggheads were more than welcome after our performance last year, in spite of the rain. The weather was perfect this year and we helped them raise well over $4,000 in funding for the Jefferson Carnegie Library. They were still counting the money when we left on Sunday. Also, the Big Green Egg dealer sold completely out of the 25 or so Eggs he brought, and took orders for more.

The crowd, still modest by today's Eggfest standards, really enjoyed themselves. None went home hungry. A lot of them asked questions about the Egg, what we were cooking and serving, the chat rooms where we get help when we ask for it, etc. I gave out all of my cards listing helpful information about the Egg, and people really appreciated them.

The area host dealer, National Wholesale Supply, said it is their intention to make the Jefferson Eggfest the number one Eggfest in the state. That's a big undertaking because two other Eggfests have well over a 1,000 paying attendees. And now we have the Houston Eggfest in the works. It has some heavy-hitter sponsors and supporters who will go all out to bring in many thousands of people who are more than willing to support the purpose of the Eggfest, to raise funds for the Texas Children's Hospital.

It's all about 'enthusiasm.' The more you have of it, the more things turn out for the better. And we Eggheads have a lot of it to spare and to share.

No matter what, it will be a great Eggfest next year and for years to come.

Judy and I served our ever-popular bourbon meatballs, along with about 10 pounds of beef skirt steak made into fajitas. All of it was delicious and got a lot of great comments from old and young alike.  But there were all kinds of food being cooked and served, getting similar comments in the process.

So I guess we'll be going back next year, along with the Eggfests in Salado, Athens, Austin and Houston,. Yes, we're gluttons for punishment, both physically and financially. But it is always worth it.

There were a few thousand motorcycle riders in town for their annual Burn Benefit Drive that generates a lot of money for the Burn Center in Galveston. Yes, there were some awesome bikes there and the air was alive with bike sounds and music. If you're a biker, you should check it out next year. If you're also an Egghead, check us out too. Or better yet, come cook with us.

Thanks Jefferson, Texas for inviting us into your community, making us feel comfortable, and for appreciating our efforts. We will be back for more next year.

Down to the Wire - We're Ready

It is hard to believe that we're only a few days away from having the Second Grilling on the Bayou EggFest.  The year flew by.

Unlike last year's wet weather, this year is expected to be nice.  Partly Cloudy to Sunny...

We should have a great turnout.

The list of Cooks is impressive.  Here's the latest:

EggFest 2015 Chefs

Out of Town Chefs

Hotch and Shelly Van Blarcum

Leroy and Judy McMillin

Joan and Lloyd Gaedke

Bruce and Kelley Underwood

Micheal & Pam Burton with Gene and Melynda Keenon

Scott and Michelle May

Bill and Linda Watkins (2 eggs)

Richard and Charlotte Harris ( kolbdriver and Mrs kolbdriver )

William (sancho65) & Ella Sanchez (eggertoo)

Andrea and Chuck Rummel (2 eggs)

Kirk Gibson (not coming to Meet and Greet)

Jim Stough

From Jefferson:

George Otstott

Victor Perot

Ted McKinnon

And if you are wondering about the statistics, how about this:

After only one year, we are getting over 1,000 hits a month on the blog site,

and they are coming from people in 8 countries:

United States

Ukraine

France

United Kingdom

Canada

Germany

El Salvador

South Africa

Jefferson is not just another sleepy little town in Texas anymore.  It is becoming international in scope because people around the world are curious as to what we Eggheads do to have fun.

See you in Jefferson

Jefferson Eggfest