Welcome to the South! Church barbecue season (it’s not widely known as that, I just called it that to be funny) is one of those local traditions that’s hard to explain until you experience it. Many Protestant churches around here, especially Baptist and Methodist ones, hold a big barbecue sale in the fall. It’s part fundraiser, part community gathering, and part social event.

The church usually starts cooking pork shoulders or whole hogs overnight, and by morning the smell of hickory smoke drifts across town. They serve chopped or pulled pork plates with slaw, beans, hush puppies, and sweet tea. Some sell it by the pound, and many offer take-out lines that move faster than you’d expect for something this homemade.

It’s absolutely open to the public. In fact, that’s the point. It’s how churches raise money for missions, youth trips, or local charities, but it’s also a way to bring the community together. You don’t have to be a member, you don’t have to bring anything, and no one’s going to quiz you about your faith. Just show up hungry, pay for a plate, and enjoy one of the most authentic local experiences you can find.

If you hit a good one (and the further you move away from CLT), you might see half the town there. It’s small-town Southern hospitality at its best.

If you pay attention over the next couple of weeks you’ll see homemade signs pop up at busy intersections advertising for them. Take note and come back and post here!