Once again, The Glessner Group will offer a “Thank You” like no other in the Upper Ohio Valley.
For a fourth consecutive Spring, Gary Glessner and his partners will collaborate with Oglebay on the “Backyard BBQ,” an annual three-day event at Site 1 and the Levenson Shelter near the Good Zoo that features great food, bourbon tastings, children’s activities, and local and regional live music.
This year’s weekend is scheduled for May 23-25 and, with a big change this year, all of the entertainment will be offered free of charge.
“I’ve always enjoyed our Group being involved with the kickoff to summer, and the ‘Backyard BBQ‘ has been a great to do just that,” Glessner explained. “When we got involved four years ago, we wanted this to be similar to what Oglebay does at the beginning of Fall with Oglebayfest, and that’s what it’s become. It’s a terrific community event.
“This year it will be very different than the first three years because everything will take place at the Levenson Shelter and in the field in front of it,” he explained. “It’s the same location where the annual Food Truck Fest and it’s worked great for that event for a couple of years now. Plus, now the entertainment is free instead of the main shows taking place at Camp Russell in a closed-off space, and all three days will be filled with live music.”
Along with a number of food vendors, barbecue pitmaster demonstrations, bourbon tastings, and a “Little Piggy Play Station” will be part of this year’s event, and more than 15 bands and performers will be featured on the Glessner Group stage. Along with locals like the “New Age Adenas”, Adrian Niles, and Matt VanFossen, the “Icons of County” tribute band will close out the concert on Saturday night, and “The Clarks” will finish the show Sunday evening.
“I know it’s only one weekend a year, but I feel it’s important for our company to help put on events like this for the people in the community to come out, get together, and have a lot of fun,” Glessner said. “I do hope the weather is better than what we had last year because, as the evening went on, the rain and colder temperatures came into play and that made it tough for a lot of people to get around the way they wanted.
“No matter what, the Backyard BBQ is one of those events that helps build up our community’s morale,” he explained. “We get together, see our friends we haven’t seen for a while, and we get to meet a bunch of new people, too, and that’s what it’s all about. That’s why the Glessner Group is involved again this year.”
The partnership with Oglebay on the Backyard BBQ is only one example of how Glessner and his partners are involved with community events during the course of the year.
“We sponsor a lot of community events because it is important for us to get our name out there in the community, but my reasons for helping so many organizations go well beyond that. It’s because this is where I grew up, and I care of today’s Wheeling and also tomorrow’s,” Glessner explained. “We’ve been successful with growing The Glessner Group over the last 15 years or so, and that only happened because the people in the area have supported us.
“So, whether it’s our ‘Backyard BBQ‘ or something else, it really is about giving back to the folks who have chosen us and who have stuck with us over the years,” he added. “It’s a good way to say thank you, so that’s what we do.”
