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Every year since 1998, grilling enthusiasts converge on an Atlanta, GA area venue to celebrate life, liberty, and the pursuit of food prepared in ceramic cookers. This year, the 50th anniversary of the Big Green Egg was celebrated at Coolray Field outside of Lawrenceville. After getting my first big green friend this past June, I was keen to go check out the action. What all is EGGtoberfest about?
Ticketing & Before you Go
Tickets have been around $80 and include:
- Parking
- Admission to unlimited food tastings
- Two Drink Tickets - to be redeemed for either alcohol or soft-drinks
- Event Programming
- Commemorative T-Shirt and Gift Bag (Clear Drawstring bag, Dasani Water, Sticker, and Pin)
Kids under 12 can get in for free, though their admission will not include free drinks, shirt, or giftbag. There were a good number of kids around, though you'll want to keep a close eye out as it is a very busy space.
Tickets do typically sell out! Make sure you and any other people in your party register early.
Interested in a discount? You can buy the eggs used in the festival for a few hundred dollars off list price. One day of use for a few Benjamin's discount isn't bad! Big Green Eggs rarely go on sale. Be sure to add the egg when you buy your tickets; you'll pick them up at the end of the event. Word of caution, you will need to make sure you have a way of carrying them/loading them to take home and they are HEAVY.
Compete as a Cook Team
If you're feeling ambitious or competitive, you can instead register as a cook team for a $100 refundable deposit. Cook teams are the heart of this event as they prepare the food for the rest of the guests to enjoy. While there is no direct cost to being on a cook team since you'll get your deposit back after attending, you will have to supply enough ingredients to make around 400 sample servings of your signature dishes which will likely cost more. An EGGtoberfest cook team is 2 cooks with Big Green Egg providing 1 Large EGG, charcoal, a convEGGtor and a pre-set 10’ X 10’ tent. An 8’ X 30” serving table will also be pre-set with each tent. Throughout the event, people can vote on their favorite cook teams with the winners receiving huge bragging rights and your name on the People's Choice Trophy that is displayed year round at the Big Green Egg Museum. Note that cook team passes go even faster than regular tickets, so be sure to get your spot reserved early.
What to Bring
The event typically follows venue rules for security and what can be brought inside the venue. Coolray Field does not allow outside beverages, pets, or non-clear bags. That being said, I saw many people bring in water bottles, strollers, and lawn chairs. If you're on a cook team, you do bring in your own ingredients without many limitations, though it is a bit of a walk so you'll want to have a wagon for your loaded down coolers. If you're of fair complexion, definitely apply sunscreen. Most of the field/venue will be in the hot sun, though you can hide out in the stands or under the cook tents. There is plenty of stadium seating which is likely more shaded, but you can bring a folding chair to setup on the field. Otherwise, pack light, pretty much the same as you would for going to a sporting event regularly.
Getting Oriented
With your ticket emails and on the main website, BGE provide a helpful map well in advance of the festivities. Food sampling tents are at the edge of the outfield and infield as well as spanning the outer fence and along the stadium concourses. Merch will be immediate to your right from the main entry/exit gate. The kids zone includes some pay-as-you-go amenities like snow cones/ice cream and other novelties near some picnic tables. Note the small yellow "field access" locations as there are only four points of egress for getting to the field itself.
Inside the Event: Eggtoberfest!
Big Green Egg does a great job of having lots of programming throughout the day, though none of it is mandatory so you can pretty much go around and do as you please. With gates opening at 9:30am and cook teams already in place before then, the parking lot does fill up fast. They did have vouchers for overflow parking at some nearby businesses/churches but just be aware that you may have a bit of a walk depending on when you arrive. The main lots were full when I got there at 11:15am.
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| Egg-ample Schedule from 2024 |
Food
The main benefit of EGGtoberfest is by far the unlimited sampling. Most cook teams will have a variety of dishes coming off of their eggs at various points throughout the day. One thing to note, it will take some time to have their dishes prepared, so there may not be much food out and about till a little while after the even officially kicks-off. Because of this, you're not very likely to see anything that takes a huge amount of time like a brisket or Boston butt, but some teams may try for a more ambitious cook to be ready later in the day, putting one of their eggs to work on quicker turn dishes in the meantime. Late in the afternoon, some teams may start to run out of food, so my recommendation would be to pre-run the lunch rush and eat through from 10:30am-1:30pm, choosing only targets of opportunity after that. If you're pushing, you can probably visit all of the tents in about two and a half hours, though that would be a very aggressive pace. Lines were not terribly long for food, though the bars did back-up a decent bit.
My Top Five Dishes:
- Smoked Jalapeno Cheddar Bacon Popper
- Pineapple Pork Chop
- Maple Glaze Salmon
- Smoked Bourbon Bread Pudding
- Mint & Fig Lamb Shank
I probably ate at least 50 things from tacos to pizzas to meatballs. Vegetables are a bit hard to find but there were a number of dessert items in circulation.
Some tents even have recipes for you to scoop:
Keep a lookout for take home items like coupons, koozies, or even free big green egg charcoal interspaced with the tents.
Music
Over the course of the festivities, there were appearances by three different musical acts. Music tended towards easy listening and the volume was well balances so that those near the stage could hear well but people further away could still converse freely.
Demo Stations
If you're looking to pick up tips and tricks, the two demo stages have something just about every hour. The demos areas themselves were awnings with a raised stage and table at the front for the proctors. Chairs were provided. Don't worry about getting their early. There was plenty of space at the ones I attended and you could easily stand in the back.
Booze Tastings
The two even sponsors, Federalist Wine and Bib and Tucker Tennessee Bourbon both offered short tastings for you to attend on top of your two drink tickets. I didn't get much product backstory from any of the workers but you can judge the taste yourself anyway. A nice bonus for sure.
Merchandise
What would a festival be without plenty of merch? BGE pulls out all the stops with an expansive shop selection featuring apparel and grilling accessories. There are limited edition items in stock that you can't find anywhere else! Expect to pay Big Green prices though. I picked up a comfort colors event tee and trucker hat for $24.99 and considered them to be a bargain.
Outro
As you can see, there is much to see and do, but the biggest factor for your happiness will be the friends and family you take. EGGtoberfest is meant to be shared. I for one will be going back and taking my small but growing famiglia.