The Great Ruleville Roast 2018 is NEXT WEEK!!!

What was once a little fundraiser to help the Ruleville Chamber of Commerce has grown into the “Greatest Show on Earth.” OR at least we think it’s the Greatest show anywhere we’ve seen. Mark Stowers of the Bolivar Bullet did a write up on this year’s Great Ruleville Roast 2018, “Under the Pig Top” and we were so happy with the way it turned out, we wanted to share it with you.

Under the Pig Top – Great Ruleville Roast 2018 Takes Place September 28 and 29

By Mark H. Stowers

Competition barbeque, music, classic cars and tractors as well as a pancake breakfast, 5k run/walk and fireworks will be part of the two-decade-old Great Ruleville Roast on Friday, September 28 and Saturday, September 29. This year’s event has been dubbed “Under the Pig Top – The Greatest Festival on Earth.”

Brad Cooper, Ruleville Chamber of Commerce president, explained a bit about the festival.
“Under the Pig Top – we’re doing a circus theme – the Greatest Festival on Earth,” Cooper said.

The event begins at 6:00 p.m. with the Memphis BBQ Network Sanctioned barbeque Competition – the 13th year – followed by a free concert by the Players, a sponsor’s dinner at The Pharm and fireworks at 9:45 p.m. by Shane Floyd.

Delta Barbecue Battle

Elise Jenkins heads up the barbeque contest and noted that it’s part of a larger competition as well.

“This is one of the legs of the Delta Barbeque Battle,” Jenkins said. “There are four contests and you have to cook in three. One has already happened – the Q on the Yazoo in Greenwood. We’ll have between 45-50 teams.”

The Delta State University Pig Pickin’ Weekend is the second leg, the Great Ruleville Roast is the third leg and Octoberfest is the final leg.

“There is a Patio Division and a Championship Division. In conjunction with the BBQ event, we have an event sponsored by Smithfield – the Pork Loin Extravaganza with a $500 first place, $300 second and $200 for third.”

There is also a Steak Cook-Off Association event sponsored by Two Brooks Farms Rice with a steak division and “one bite rice” competition. The Pork Loin is on Friday and Steak Off is on Saturday.

Pancake Breakfast

Saturday begins with the Ruleville-Drew Rotary Pancake Breakfast at the historic Depot at 6:30 a.m. The 5K walk/run registration begins at 7:30 a.m. followed by the run at 8:00 a.m. and the walk at 8:15 a.m.

“The pancake breakfast is one of the oldest fundraisers in the Rotary 6800 District,” Cooper said. “We’ll have anywhere from 18 to 30 cars, trucks and tractors. We have everything from Model A’s all the way up to a Dodge Hellcat Challenger. We’ll have multiple vendors with food and crafts throughout the park.”

There will also be kid entertainment and activities including train rides. The entertainment on Saturday will include local high school entertainment and much more.

How to Register

“The barbeque awards start around 5:00 p.m.,” Cooper said. “If anyone else wants to be a vendor they can contact Amanda Ware at (662) 458-8570. If they want to be in the car show, call me, Brad Cooper at (662) 417-5815. And as far as the cooking, they need to call Elise Jenkins at (662) 719-1675 or (662) 756-2011.”

Ware noted “there have been about 50 vendors in the past few years” for the event.

“I usually give them up until the day of to be in the festival,” Ware said. “There is an application on our Facebook page, The Great Ruleville Roast.

Anyone interested in the 5K walk/run can sign up online at, www.racesonline.com and look for The Great Ruleville Roast. For more information, check out the Great Ruleville Roast and Run Facebook page.