October 2005
Article written for regional seniors publication
in the Raleigh-Durham Triangle market
50+ September 2005 edition
All Aboard the Barbecue Express
Julia Jarema
If there has ever been a food that is synonymous
with North Carolina – it’s barbecue.
Unlike other parts of the country where
barbecue is an activity of cooking just
about anything on a grill, in the Tar Heel
state, barbecue is a noun—and
a food category all its own.
 Any
native can tell you that barbecue is pork,
but not just any pork. It is pig that is
slow-cooked for hours over hickory wood,
basted with a special vinegar-based sauce
and finely chopped for serving. Most North
Carolinians will tell you they prefer either
“Lexington-style” or “Eastern-style”
barbecue. And though most people’s
allegiance to a particular barbecue style
is nearly as strong as their loyalty to
a specific ACC university, there really
is not that much difference between the
two. Lexington barbecue is almost all pork
shoulder and the sauce includes a mixture
of vinegar, tomato sauce, water, salt, pepper
and other spices. For Eastern barbecue,
the whole pig is slow cooked and there is
no tomato in the sauce.
Preparing this Southern staple is an all-day
event that has evolved over generations
as a great excuse for a social gathering.
So it’s no surprise that such an event
based on such a delicacy warrants its own
festival.
On October 22nd, more than 150,000 people
will flock to Lexington, N.C. for the 22nd
Annual Barbecue Festival. And there is no
better way to go, than by train.
 North
Carolina’s Amtrak trains become the
“Barbecue Express” making special
stops in Lexington for this one-day event.
Both trains arrive just as the festivities
begin. The westbound Piedmont (#
73) brings passengers from Raleigh, Cary,
Durham, Burlington, Greensboro and High
Point arriving at the festival at 9:16 a.m.
The eastbound Carolinian (# 80)
carries passengers from Charlotte, Kannapolis
and Salisbury pulling in at 8:46 a.m. It’s
a short two-block walk to the center of
the festival.
As the official Barbecue Capital of the
World, Lexington is the natural choice for
the famous food festival.
An eight-block stretch of Main Street is
closed off to accommodate five entertainment
stages, 400 craft and food exhibitors, games,
rides and, of course, barbecue. Exhibits
open at 8:30 a.m. so there will be plenty
of time to work up an appetite. Live music
entertainment runs throughout the day with
something for everyone’s taste: gospel,
acoustic, blues, bluegrass, country, rock
and more. Scattered throughout the downtown
you’ll find an antique car show, pig
races, lumberjack show, sand sculpture and
a juried arts and crafts show that features
the talents and works of 54 area artists.
When hunger strikes, look for one of the
three red and white tents, where you’ll
see folks chopping barbecue, slinging slaw
and serving french fries. While you wander,
be sure to check out the North Carolina
Championship Pork Cook-Off where whole-hog
cooking experts – from east and west
– demonstrate their skills.
When you’ve seen all the sights and
stuffed yourself silly, climb aboard the
train for the trip back home. The westbound
Piedmont (#74) departs at 6:25
p.m. while the eastbound Carolinian
(#79) departs at 6:56 p.m. After a fun-filled
day, you’ll appreciate the relaxing
ride home where you can stretch out, sleep
or visit with friends instead of battling
traffic.
For more information about North Carolina’s
Amtrak, visit bytrain.org. For train tickets
visit amtrak.com or call 1-800 USA RAIL
(872-7245). For information about the Lexington
Barbecue Festival, visit barbecuefestival.com
The North Carolina Department of Transportation
sponsors the daily Piedmont and Carolinian
trains which serve 17 cities in the state;
Amtrak operates the services. Julia Hegele
Jarema is the Communications Manager for
the NCDOT Rail Division. |
October 2005: All Aboard the Barbecue Express
August 2005: 50+ August 2005 edition
July 2005: Shopping Broad Street in Southern Pines
May 2005: Discovering America, the Land of Enchantment, Santa Fe
April 2005: Randolph
County: Planes, and cars, and animals,
oh my!
March 2005: Chapel
Hill, Not Just Another College Town
February 2005: Too
Cold to Travel? Forget About It! Durham
Offers Many “Inside” Attractions |
