PRESS
Festivals Put Columbia On Culinary Map Mon, Jul 28 2008
By TRISH AND JIM KOETTING
Published Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Up until a couple of years ago, Columbia was a relatively typical Midwestern college town, known mostly — especially lately — for Tiger football games and tailgate parties. Games were attended by a high percentage of university-educated individuals.
There would be an art festival here and there, some balloon festivals occasionally, but nothing to really make anyone sit up and take notice.
That all changed a little over a year ago when Boone County National Bank came up with the outrageous idea to host a music and barbecue festival the likes of which no one in this town had ever seen. And, by the way, it would be free. (What were they smoking?) This was, to say the least, met with a generous portion of skepticism. I talked to a caterer who didn’t want to get involved as a vendor because he was worried about what he would do with all of his leftovers. Well, the thing was christened the Roots ’N Blues ’N BBQ Festival, and the rest is history. To say it exceeded expectations is an understatement, thanks to the dedicated work from a great number of individuals. Who’d a thunk we’d make the New York Times for our music festival, which, by the way, will be returning this fall — Oct. 3 and 4 — for an encore performance.