By Megan Alley
Sun staff

Businesses Uniting to Rebuild and Grow, a redevelopment group focused on reinventing Williamsburg, will hold its first BBQ Fest and Feral Hog 50K after-party on Oct. 15 at the Old Firehouse Brewery.

The idea for the event came after race organizers approached the brewery about hosting an event after the ultramarathon, which takes place at East Fork State Park.

“We’re hoping for 100 attendees in this first year,” said Kris Burgess, associate attorney at T. David Burgess Co., L.P.A and a founding member of BURG.

The event will serve as an outreach and fundraising event for BURG, which was established in November 2015 and is now filed with the state of Ohio as the nonprofit corporation Williamsburg Reinvented.

With a noon kickoff, the event is set to feature a BBQ contest with the categories of best pulled pork, best ribs and best pulled chicken.

Winners will be selected by a panel of judges, made up of BURG and community members, as well as the audience, which will be asked to vote via an online survey.

So far, four BBQ vendors have signed up to participate in the event; organizers are still accepting applications for all types of food vendors.

“We’re open to whoever wants to come,” Burgess said.

The event will also feature retail vendors, including those selling crafts. A face painting booth is also in the works, Burgess said.

The mission for BURG is “businesses coming together to develop and improve the economic power of Williamsburg, enabling strategic purposeful growth for the community through reinvestment,” according to Burgess.

The group, which was spearheaded by Adam Cowan, co-owner of Old Firehouse Brewery, has a vision for keeping Williamsburg a small town, but also creating a vibrant community that can give back, Burgess explained.

“Things have been going well,” he said. “We’re starting to grow, and we’re excited to be planning events to attract people to our group and the area.”

Burgess hopes to see people enjoying the idea of having Williamsburg be a destination location.

“We want to reinforce the idea that Williamsburg is a small town and great place to visit and experience.”

For more information about the event, visit the Old Firehouse Brewery’s Facebook page.