This year’s Smoke at the Lodge event will once again involve two types of embers.
As always, the annual fundraiser for the Summerville Masonic Lodge has attracted a large group of cooking teams that will prepare scrumptious BBQ over smoldering coals and wood.
For a second consecutive year, the fundraiser will also feature a free concert by The Embers, a rhythm and blues/heart and soul band known most for its work in the Beach Music genre.
“We brought The Embers in last year because we wanted to do something special for the fifth anniversary of the BBQ competition,” Kenny Craven, one of the Masons who founded the annual cook-off, said. “It was supposed to be a one-time thing, but we had so many people tell us how much they enjoyed them and what a great time they had that we decided to bring them back.”
The event, now in its sixth year, pits cooking teams against each other in a barbecue competition at the lodge — located at 111 N. Main St.
Contestants will participate in “No Pork Night” tonight, Friday, and will prepare various dishes which will be voted on by celebrity judges. After the judging, around 6:30, samples will be available for $1 each.
The teams will cook a whole pig through the night with the honor of "Best Barbecue at the Lodge" being awarded Saturday morning. This year 28 teams will participate.
“It is our biggest event yet,” Craven said. “I actually had to turn people down because we have nowhere to put them. Teams on the cooking circuit are starting to see our cook-off as one of the ones to win.”
Beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, the meat will be used for BBQ dinners that will be available for purchase until the lodge is sold out, which is typically around 6 p.m. The dinner sale part of the event dates back more than 40 years.
“The thing about it is all the meat comes straight off the grill,” Craven said. “Nothing is frozen. And we use the funds to help the community.”
He says the event has become the largest Masonic fundraiser in the state. In past years, proceeds have gone to purchase Tasers for the Summerville Police Department, a radar for the Town of Lincolnville, to create a scholarship at Charleston Southern University in honor of the late Troy Knight and to help causes like the Omar Shrine Temple in Mount Pleasant and the Palmetto House.

Contact Roger Lee @ 873-9424 ext. 213 or rlee@journalscene.com.