Sevierville, Tennessee is hosting its annual Bloomin’ BBQ & Bluegrass Festival, and the economic recipe is as savory as the pulled pork.
This weekend, dozens of top pitmaster teams from across the country will descend on Dolly Parton’s hometown to smoke over 2,800 pounds of meat in a quest for the state BBQ championship.
We’re talking real-deal barbecue – wood smoke, secret rubs, and maybe a little moonshine in the sauce – not the faux-vegan-“sustainable” nonsense trending on coastal menus.
The festival draws thousands of hungry visitors ready to chow down and shell out, pumping cash into local mom-and-pop shops and hotels. It’s a case study in food culture as economic engine: one free-admission festival, jam-packed with bluegrass tunes and authentic Southern flavor, will generate more community pride and tourist revenue than any grant-funded “food equity” initiative ever could.
Small-town America is proving that protecting local food traditions (and letting people have some damn fun) is a smarter development strategy than hectoring residents about soy diets. Pass the ribs and watch the economy sauce itself.