SF College Boots 鈥榥 BBQ Cook-Off and Scholarship Fundraiser
February 11, 2011
Florida's most fun winter weekend, just 30 minutes from Gainesville!
SF Boots 鈥榥 BBQ is Florida's most fun winter weekend! There's something for everyone鈥揻antastic food, family fun, continuous entertainment, kids' activities, and a 25- or 52-mile rural bike ride for cycling enthusiasts.
Thursday
The festival opens 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10. 鈥淭here's a Southern gospel sing that's going to be great fun, with performances on the outdoor stage,鈥� said Kathryn Lehman, festival coordinator.
Crossfire Warriors, Joyful Voices and The Backwood Boys will rock the night with their songs. (The Backwood Boys song 鈥淚'm So Glad He Didn't Leave Me鈥� made national charts.) Hamburgers, hot dogs, incredible desserts, coffee, cocoa and other beverages will be available.
Friday
The doors open again 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11. Stand-up comedian Alex Ortiz will be onstage at 7:40 p.m. with his special brand of humor the whole family can enjoy. Ortiz has headlined at The Apollo, Funny Bones, and The Improvs. Recently he has been filming a children's sitcom called 鈥淐hefsters,鈥� which promotes nutrition.
Friday also hosts two 鈥淚dol鈥� contests, a 鈥淢inute to Win It鈥� contest, and there's a down-home performance by Country Steel with Ricky Thompson at 9:30 p.m. (In his day job, Thompson is city manager of Starke and a contender in the 鈥淜iss the Pig鈥� contest.)
The Sweet Tooth Caf茅 will be open Friday serving up the sweetest desserts this side of heaven. And the barbecue teams will roll in during the evening and set up their stations in anticipation of Saturday's cook-off.
Saturday
At 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 12, the big day begins. BBQ teams work their magic while entertainment abounds for the whole family. Craft vendors set up for business. The rural bike ride starts at 10 a.m.
And Saturday's the time to get what you came for! Fill up those special barbecue-craving places in your tummy and savor the flavors until you are completely satisfied. You can buy BBQ from the teams by using Pig Bucks instead of U.S. dollars. (Pig Bucks are readily available at the festival and help dollars go to scholars.)
When you've tasted them all and decided on your favorites in each category (ribs, brisket, pork and chicken), cast your votes for the People's Choice awards. This allows everyone to be a judge and have a say.
Saturday also has something going on in the Kids Korner all day long: face painting, tractor pull, games of skill or sleuthing, putt putt golf, mechanical pig race, where's the pig?, and many more diversions.
Guest chefs, entertainment schedule
Guest chefs will demonstrate their culinary prowess on the Quality Design Kitchen stage from 9 a.m.-noon and the Chefsters will film a segment of their TV show. Meanwhile there's an 11 a.m. performance on the outdoor stage by the Clay County Community Band Swing Ensemble. Listen for some of your favorite tunes from the Big Band Era of the 1930s through the 1950s.
Alex Ortiz returns at 2 p.m. with his unique family-rated comedy act.
Your socks will rock at Jimmie Van Zant's performance beginning 3 p.m. A native of Jacksonville, guitarist Van Zant and his band play country, rockabilly, and Southern rock. They've made three albums and are currently on a world tour.
鈥淜iss the Pig鈥� scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Saturday
The much anticipated pig smooch comes at 4:30 p.m. (For the past several weeks, eight prominent Bradford County citizens have vied with each other in a 鈥淜iss the Pig鈥� contest. Voters have paid to cast ballots, with all proceeds going for SF scholarships. Visit to vote for your choice.)
Whichever candidate has brought in the most bucks wins the race, and the 鈥渓ucky鈥� winner will be announced and perform the smooch. The pig, on loan by a member of Future Farmers of America, will be treated with due care and respect.
The People's Choice awards are announced beginning 1 p.m. Saturday and the barbecue competition awards are announced beginning 5 p.m. This is the Florida Bar-B-Que Association 2011 State Championship! Boots 鈥榥 BBQ ends at 6 p.m.
Festival hours
Festival hours are 5-9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10; 5-10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11; and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12; rain or shine. Admission is $5 per day; 12 years and under free. The address is
All proceeds go to fund student scholarships at 青青草视频. Visit for up-to-date information, images, bike ride entry, 鈥淜iss the Pig鈥� voting, and travel directions.
To learn more, call Kathryn Lehman at 352-214-8178 (cell), 352-395-5355 (office) or 904-964-5382 ext. 5355, or e-mail kathryn.lehman@sfcollege.edu.
