Organizers Announce Music Lineup and COVID-19 Measures to Keep Participants Safe During Annual KCBS-Sanctioned Event at Coolray Field to Benefit Home of Hope at Gwinnett Children’s Shelter
Lawrenceville, Ga, February 18, 2021 – BBQ fans and music buffs have converged on Coolray Field for the past five years to revel in delicious food, delightful craft vendors and toe-tapping tunes from local artists – all in support of a good cause. While every one of those elements will still be in place during the 6th Annual Sip & Swine BBQ Festival on March 5-6, 2021, extra precautions will be taken to ensure a safe experience for all involved. As in years past, 100% of the proceeds from the event will benefit Home of Hope at Gwinnett Children’s Shelter. Over the last five years, the event has raised $240,000 for the shelter thanks to the generosity of festival sponsors, participants and attendees.
“While COVID-19 has changed a lot in our world, one thing that remains unchanged is the fact that there are homeless children in our community who need our help,” explained Jim Lloyd, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Home of Hope. Lloyd is also the organizer of the Sip & Swine BBQ Festival, as well as CEO of Lawrenceville-based InsuranceHub. “If anything, they need us more than ever before. Home of Hope at Gwinnett Children’s Shelter is a residential care facility that exists to provide services for homeless children and their young mothers, as well as care and services for young women who are aging out of the foster care system. As a result of the pandemic, we learned that donations are down at Home of Hope. Since this festival represents one of the nonprofit’s largest fundraisers of the year, we felt the need to carry on while doing everything we can to provide a safe environment for all involved. I’d like to thank Gwinnett County for issuing the event permit and all the sponsors who’ve signed on to show their support. Throughout the event – which is hosted outdoors in the open air, we will be complying with CDC guidelines and will take all the necessary precautions to protect our vendors, volunteers and attendees.”
The following are listed among the measures that will be in place to ensure a safe event:
- Masks are mandatory to enter and participate in the 2021 Sip & Swine BBQ Festival
- Social distancing of 6 feet or more will be encouraged throughout the event
- Hand sanitation stations will be conveniently positioned around the festival grounds
- The often-crowded Vendor Village will be at 50-60% capacity to allow more space between tents and guests
- Whereas the “sip” portion of the festival has always involved a variety of draft beers, this year will require a switch to canned beer only
Entertaining music will fill the air as craft and food vendors sell their goods and BBQ competition teams get set up from 3 to 9 PM on Friday, March 5 to kick off this Kansas City Barbeque Society-sanctioned event. Having debuted at last year’s festival, Sip & Swine welcomes back its Kids Q Competition for aspiring chefs aged 6 to 15, but spaces are limited. Larger crowds are expected Saturday, March 6 when popular local bands take the stage and the awards for both professional and amateur BBQ teams are bestowed.
The schedule for the Sip & Swine Festival for Saturday, March 6 – including music lineup is:
11 AM – Event opens to public – including food and craft vendors
11 AM-12:15 PM – School of Rock performs
12:30-1:45 PM – Chainsaw Hunnie performs
2-3:15 PM – Georgia Red Clay performs
3:30-5 PM – Pickup Line performs
5 PM – BBQ awards ceremony
6 PM – Event ends
Admission to and parking at the Sip & Swine BBQ Festival are both FREE. Coolray Field is located at 2500 Buford Drive in Lawrenceville. For additional information about the event or to sign on as a vendor, sponsor or volunteer, please visit www.sipandswine.com. To learn more about Home of Hope at Gwinnett Children’s Shelter or make a direct donation online, please visit www.homeofhopegcs.org.
About Home of Hope at Gwinnett Children’s Shelter: Focused on ending homelessness two generations at a time, Home of Hope at Gwinnett Children’s Shelter is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and a residential care facility that provides services for homeless infants and children up to 17 years of age along with their young mothers. Home of Hope also offers care and services for homeless girls aging out of the foster care system at 18 years of age. It provides customized “Life Plans” that are designed around the physical, emotional and educational needs of the children it serves, while helping their mothers develop a plan of action to get back on their feet. Not wishing to serve simply as a place of refuge, Home of Hope at Gwinnett Children’s Shelter is the “NEXT STEP” towards independence. It takes its guests from homelessness, to hopeful, to a home of their own. To learn more about Home of Hope at Gwinnett Children’s Shelter, visit www.homeofhopegcs.org.