The City of Aiken knows how to throw a party and, when they do, the community comes out in droves to support it. Despite the frigid temperatures, Aikenites (and a couple of Augustans, ahem) showed up to celebrate the 2022 Aiken Bacon & Brews, an annual celebration of beer and bacon that took place on the evening of March 12 in the middle of Newberry Street, between the Alley and Aiken Community Theatre.
Spring was looming large over the horizon with budding trees hearkening the coming season. However, winter wasn’t quite ready to loosen its grip on the month of March. It was a cold evening in the CSRA and the wind whipped the Alley in Aiken under a crystalline sky. Even the moon looked like ice. Dean and I aren’t fans of cold weather, but the frigid air didn’t keep us from attending.
[adrotate banner=”20″]
The food trucks on site offered an assortment of delights ranging from barbecue to tacos to hot coffee. People queued up in front of the food trailers to sample the offerings. The Hometown Grounds coffee truck had a steady line of customers seeking a little caffeinated heat. Dean and I each got a coffee, which was delicious, and the warm cup felt mighty good in my cold hands! Pot Smoker BBQ offered several selections, including sandwiches and plates. Ashley’s Yummy Tummy provided a delicious bacon-infused assortment of tacos on their menu. For those craving soul food, Southern Cooking served up Southern goodness at their trailer.
Mellow acoustic music filled the street, and when I turned to see who was playing I was quite surprised to find Redfoxwood performing on a stage set up nearest the Theatre. We had first seen the group perform at Stay. Social Tap & Table several months ago. It was nice to hear them again. They played an acoustic set of original folk tunes including “Step on Fire” and “Albuquerque, Don’t Get Me Wrong.” Their folk-drenched organic songs seemed to kiss my ears and felt good on a cold, cold night.
Dean and I stayed as long as we were able, but the Arctic weather proved too much for us to handle. The wind pushed us along as we hurried back to the car after a frosty but fun hour spent on Newberry Street.
[adrotate banner=”15″]
Aiken keeps the Alley hopping with events scheduled throughout the year. Their weekly Thursday night offering, Amp the Alley, starts up again on March 31. Visit the Aiken Downtown Development Association website at https://aikendda.us and join their email list to keep up with the happenings.
Find Redfoxwood online at https://www.redfoxwood.com and be sure to catch them in concert the first chance you get.
Curious about what’s going on this weekend? On Friday, check out Aiken’s own Anybody’s Guess playing at Shannon’s starting at 8 p.m. Looking for a little Southern rock and country? Head to Chevy’s on Saturday beginning at 9 p.m. for Allen Lowe & Turning Point. Jazz enthusiasts, look no further than Vibes and Vines for dinner and music as Jovonda Patrice takes the stage for two shows at 7 p.m. and at 9:30 p.m. Listening fee is $20.
Francie Klopotic is an author, artist and music aficionado living in Augusta. She writes The Night Beat column the first and third Fridays of each month.
