Yes, it was that time of year again. The Bois d’ Arc Bash took its place on the downtown Commerce square Friday, Sept. 21.
The Commerce Leadership Institute (CLI) supplied this year’s bash with barbecue brisket, which they have donated for several years.
“We have been doing this for so long, I don’t think that I could count how many years,” Kyle Lowe, an annual helper and cooker said. “What makes our barbecue better than others would have to be the ‘famous manning’ rub ingredient that is used each time.”
The members of CLI are all individuals who enjoy giving back to the Commerce community and coming together for this event each year.
“They are all different people who all work at different places and they all volunteer each year,” Lowe said.
These volunteers come together each year to raise money for Commerce. There are two groups that unite and volunteer to distribute barbecue to the bash visitors and each time a different group volunteers.
Lowe wouldn’t reveal that a certain secret recipe was used, only that the main ingredients to cooking good barbecue are wood, smoke and meat.
For most attendees, it all seemed to piece itself together after volunteer Cameron Grubert, gave out free samples. The popular opinion was that the barbecue was tasty and well cooked.
Each year the Bois d’ Arc Bash is sponsored by a couple of local fast food restaurants. McDonalds donated the bags used and the sacks for the barbecue sandwiches were donated by Sonic. Students and Commerce citizens were able to get a chopped beef sandwich, bag of potato chips, can of soda and bag of cookies for $5.
The turn out for the Bois d’ Arc Bash was high overall, but the barbecue line was definitely one of the busiest on Friday evening, full of smiling faces and energetic volunteers.