Hannah Cicioni describes herself as a Rogers girl, so being a charter member of the Rogers Downtown Rotary Club means a lot to her. And so does the opportunity to give back to the community where she "lives, works and plays."
That's why she is so enthusiastic about the Frisco Inferno barbecue contest, which she calls the highlight of Saturday's events at the 32nd annual Frisco Festival.
FAQ
Frisco Festival
WHEN — Tonight with music by Got It Covered & Saturday with train rides, a model train show, music & the Southern BMX Stunt Show at 1:30, 3:30 & 5:30 p.m.
WHERE — Downtown Rogers
COST — Admission is free
INFO — mainstreetrogers.com
"Our biggest thing is that we're raising money to turn right around and inject back into our downtown Rogers community," Cicioni says. "All of the funds -- 100 percent -- that we raise will go toward a Lake Atalanta project -- a pavilion or an element of play."
This is the second year for the Rotary Club and the second year for the barbecue contest, which accepts only 20 teams to compete in three meat categories -- pork butt, brisket and ribs. Winning a category is worth $1,000, as is winning the People's Choice, which lets Frisco Fest participants spend $10 to taste the barbecue results and vote for a winner. The competition starts Saturday morning, with the People's Choice tasting from 3 to 5 p.m.
"We've made a commitment through our Rotary Club and our great sponsors to make sure this is an event that we can pull people from outside the state lines of Arkansas," Cicioni says. "We're already getting interest on a regional level, and we hope as the years go by to grab attention on the national level."
-- Becca Martin-Brown
NAN What's Up on 08/26/2016