Michael O'Halloran, a Quincyfest committee co-chair, said there was a Latino Fest in Quincy for several years held the same weekend as the "Blues and Barbecue" event "So we kind of teamed up," he said. "The Hispanic population is growing, and we wanted to include them in the festivities." Today's fiesta begins at 4 p.
m. with dance performances and the food and music of Mexico, in commemoration of the country's defeat of the French army in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. (It's often mistaken as Mexico's independence day.
) The Quincyfest team wraps it up at 11 tonight. Saturday's free music festival begins at 10 a.m.
with the return of Thomasville's 17-year-old guitarist Jamie Eubanks and the Jamie Eubanks Band. Music lovers can bring their blankets and lawn chairs to sit on the grass and listen to performances by Eubanks, blues icon Eddie Kirkland, South Florida's Juanita Dixon and Tallahassee's ACME Rhythm Blues throughout the day. In addition to the tunes, there'll be a Florida Barbecue Association-sanctioned contest and an amateur backyard barbecue contest, featuring cooks from around the region competing for $11,500 in cash and prizes.
Clay VanLandingham, the county property appraiser, said this is his third year entering his homemade barbecue in the "backyard" division. His team is called Cripple Dog Farm, and it won awards in 2005 for both its pork and chicken. "It's all in the sauce," he said.
"(In the past) we've had a city commissioner or two," he said, "but they can't cook." Judging takes place at the day's end, and many of the teams and vendors will have barbecued pork, ribs, brisket and chicken for sale throughout the day. Quincyfest's Web site notes that there are still openings for barbecue contestants in both the professional and amateur backyard barbecue categories.
Applications and information are available online at . In addition to the food and music, the festival features a classic car show with automobiles from the North Florida British Motoring Club, the Big Bend MG Club, the Temple of Triumph Club and the Classic Antique Car Club of Tallahassee. The public is invited to vote on a "People's Choice Award" with cash and trophies for the top three winners.
Wee ones will find plenty to do thanks to the Gadsden Arts Center's children's area, Kid's Alley, featuring artists, painters, sculptors and potters demonstrating their crafts as well as hands-on art activities. "It'll be a lot of fun," she said. "Bring the kids, and stay all day.
" 5 p.m. - Pre-K Dancers (ages 3 4) 6 p.
m. - Little Bit of Mexico Dance Troupe (elementary and high-school students) 8 p.m.
- Talent Show
Saturday
2 p.m. - Eddie Kirkland 4 p.m. - Juanita Dixon
If you go
When: 4 to 11 p.m.today, 10 a.m. to 6 p.
m. Saturday Info: Call 627-7681, ext. 224, or visit .
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