Food. Beverages. Live Music. Family fun.
Those are the four primary components for this year’s Backyard BBQ at Ogebay during the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. The event, presented by The Glessner Group of Wheeling, kicks off Friday afternoon at 5 p.m. with live music, tasty foods, and a large beverage menu from which to choose.
For a third consecutive year, thanks to the support from The Glessner Group, a pair of national recording artists will headline the Saturday evening concert at Camp Russell. Frankie Ballard and his band feature a country/bluesy sound, according to Oglebay programming manager Jon Banco, will lead off, and then Rodney Atkins – an award-winning country star with roots in Tennessee – will close the show.
“The Backyard BBQ is Oglebay’s way of celebrating the beginning of summer for both the kids in the area and their parents and everyone else,” Banco explained. “There will be plenty of activities for the children, and a lot of different food vendors, live entertainment, a children’s area, bourbon tasting, and, of course, the big concert on Saturday evening.
“This is the first time we’ll welcome country music to the Backyard BBQ’s big show with Rodney Atkins and Frankie Ballard scheduled for Saturday evening,” he explained. “With the great history with country music in this region, we expect folks will really have a great time with the music and the surroundings.”
Banco offered a piece of advice for those planning to attend the Saturday evening concert, too.
“The best thing for those attending the country shows Saturday evening is to come up early, find your parking area, and come enjoy the great food and everything else we’ll have available for those who attend,” Banco said. “Along with the vendors and the bourbon tasting, we’ll have cooking demonstrations from our local professionals, the Little Piggie Fun Zone for the kids, and a lot of different live entertainment before the big shows.
“All of the live entertainment is free except the big shows Saturday evening at Camp Russell,” he confirmed. “Before the gates open at 5:30 p.m. for the Frankie Ballard and Rodney Atkins performances Saturday evening, we’ll have Gage Joseph at the Site One stage to get everyone warmed up, ‘Intro to BBQ’ and ‘Whole Hog Prep’ classes, the ‘Pigs Gone Wild Race,’ and a lot of other activities that are all family-friendly.”
Real Good Grub
(Jim’s Smokin Que, R & G Smokehouse, Off the Bone BBQ, Wood Fired Pizza, Ideal Provisions, Lulu’s Bubble Tea, Grilled Pineapple, Pittsburgh Crepes, Kirk’s Ice Cream, Sno Biz Shave Ice, and root beer and lemonades trucks.)
Something for everyone?
“We’ll have a few major barbecue vendors and some others from throughout the year with things like the wood-fired pizza and some desserts,” Banco said. “We’re having Off the Bone, Jim’s Smokin’ Que, and R&G Smokehouse BBQ coming into from out of area, and plenty of local foods, too, and all of the vendors will be prepped to serve up until 9 p.m. each evening.
“The barbecue trucks will offer a lot of everything that’s traditional, and also some specialty items they enter into the contests,” he said. “When it comes to barbecue, there are a lot of competitions and these vendors are very highly decorated, that’s for sure. And our plans are for the lines to be short because of how these vendors do their events.”
Along with the available food, demonstrations and tastings are scheduled, as well. Bourbon tastings are scheduled for Friday from 6-9 p.m. and from 1-6 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, cooking demos will take place on both days, and children’s activities will be available during the weekend afternoons.
“Everything we’re doing during the Backyard BBQ is family-friendly because that’s what Oglebay is all about,” Banco said. “We love our barbecue in this area of the country so we thought it would be interesting and helpful to have the demonstrations by our local chefs, and we also have some folks who really appreciate their bourbon so I’m hoping to get some local aficionados to talk about their preferences during the tastings.
“There’s going to be a lot for parents to do with their kids, too,” he said. “As a father, I’ve learned how important it is for the kids to have as much fun as the adults, so that’s why we’re planning to have a great mix for everyone.”
Sing a Song. Sing It Loud.
(Libby Adams, Devon Allen Johnson & Ruff Creek, Tammy Jo & Iron Horse, 7 South, Gage Joseph Band, Jason Treuman, MSM, Bucket of Puppies, Punching Oswald, Thunderstruck)
And, thanks again to The Glessner Group, Frankie Ballard and Rodney Atkins on the Camp Russell stage Saturday evening, too.
“The Wheeling area community really supports us at The Glessner Group so we’re always looking for ways to give back to the people in this region, and we believe the Backyard BBQ is a great way to do just that,” said founder Gary Glessner. “In the beginning, we went back and forth with ideas until settling on this kind of a weekend, and I think it’s worked out great for everyone involved.
“This area has a rich history and a rich appreciation for country music, so I believe the performers this year are great to go along with that tradition,” he continued. “It’s all about the summer months and getting it started the right way, and that’s why The Glessner Group is proud to be involved again this year.”
Banco agrees, and he’s convinced this year’s schedule of performers is the finest he’s collected for Oglebay’s annual summer kick-off.
“I think the live music is going to be better than it’s been for the first two Backyard BBQs,” Banco said. “We get started with Libby Adams, and she has such a strong voice that she’s going to attract a lot of attention to the Levenson right from the start. After Libby on Friday, Devon Allen Johnson & Ruff Creek will take over and they’re a terrific country cover band with some of their own songs, too.
“On Saturday, the live music begins on the Site One stage at Noon with Tammy Jo & Iron Horse, and we’ll have country music all afternoon,” he said. “Sunday will be more of a variety with five different performances, including an AC/DC tribute band at the end of the day. So, on top of the big concert, we’ll have a lot more live music this year for the Backyard BBQ.”
While Atkins debuted in the late 1990s and has been nominated for a number of different country music awards, Ballard has charted eight singles on the Hot Country Songs charts over the last six years after performing for a few years in Nashville for the Grand Ole Opry.
That’s another reason why Banco agrees with Glessner – country is the perfect genre of music for this year’s Memorial Day weekend.
“We started the Backyard BBQ three years ago and it’s been a great success the first two years,” he said. “The first year we had the Gin Blossoms for the Saturday concert, and last year it was Collective Soul, and the crowds have been terrific because those are bands we don’t get to see in this area very often at all. The same is true with Rodney Atkins and Frankie Ballard.
“We’ve learned a lot the first two years, too, and that’s why we expected this year’s Backyard BBQ to be the best yet,” he said. “This event is Oglebay’s official summer kick-off just like Oglebayfest is for the Fall season in the Upper Ohio Valley, and it’s for our local residents and for the people who stay with us at Wilson Lodge or in one of the cottages. And, for the most part, the entertainment is free to the public as a thank you for all of the support our local residents give Oglebay all year long.”
