WITH KID GLOVES: The annual cookoff brings out the competitive juices (left) as participants vie for one of many trophies (below) awarded to victors.
DON’T MISS Heart of Texas Country Music Museum 1701 S. Bridge Brady, TX 76825 (325) 597-1895 hillbillyhits.com Heart of Texas Historical Museum 117 N. High Brady, TX 76825 (325) 597-0526 heartoftexasmuseum.com
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Richards Park, Brady Aug. 31–Sept. 2 worldchampionshipgoatcookoff.com Live music all day Sept. 1–2 with evening concerts
The “True Heart of Texas” hosts the World Championship BBQ Goat Cookoff
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LORETTA FULTON
breath, and you can already smell the savory sauce and hear the drippings sizzle as slabs of goat meat cook to perfection at the annual World Championship BBQ Goat Cookoff in Brady, the “True Heart of Texas.” The event, first held in 1974, doesn’t actually begin until Aug. 31, but it’s not too early to imagine just how tasty it’s going to be. The cookoff is sponsored by the Brady/ McCulloch County Chamber of Commerce,
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headed by executive director Erin Corbell. Last year’s cookoff drew 10,000 visitors, up from 5,500 in 2016. Of those guests, 55 percent were local residents, Corbell says, and 45 percent came from out of the county. Corbell attributes the attendance hike to changes made in pricing, as well as to the addition of beer and wine tasting. Instead of paying separate fees for concerts, bounce houses, a cooler charge and parking, visitors can buy weekend passes that cover everything
BRADY
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FORTS TRAIL REGION
COURTESY BRADY/MCCULLOCH COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Forty-Five Years of Smoking Goat
World Championship BBQ Goat Cookoff