Did you count the strollers? Here comes the waking that fine line without offending those with kids. The food of course is all first class or these pitmasters would not be at the Big Apple BBQ. Johnny, a veteran going back to the first BABBQ, expected this event would grow as people learned about how great it was.
It has reached critical mass, however. The event organizers, in a money grab have completely oversold the Fast Passes that allow holders along the inside of the BBQ tables, along the sidewalk, while those without use the streets for access. It began to really get crowded last year and Johnny suspected then they had oversold for what the event would well handle. However last year the Fast Passes were still quicker than not having one. This year that tipping point changed at some pitmaster stations. There were actually shorter lines for those without the Fast Passes and that is a problem. When you get the dozens of strollers inside that inner ring in the Fast pass area, they continually block the passageways, block food lines and block access to porta-johns. As always they seem to not notice they are holding people up. One woman with a stroller actually told someone Johnny was at the BBQ with to quiet down as her baby was sleeping in the stroller. Yeah, right, OK, lady. If you listen to music in the video you think she might have been a little out of line?
So yes, the stroller crowds are making the Saturday BABBQ their own to the chagrin of many of us veterans. Johnny thinks he'll try Sunday next year and if it's overrun with the strollers then he might have to give it up. A great event suffering under the weight of it's own success, both externally and internally.
Now, on with the pictures!
