Willits Frontier Days Beef BBQ

Even as the parade comes to an end, the sizzling aroma of barbequing beef can already be caught on the air, wafting out of the barbeque pit at the Rec Grove Park.

The line can get long, but anyone who’s been though it before can testify that it’s worth the wait – even when the team serves some 4,000 people during the luncheon.

Putting this monumental meal together takes the combined efforts of many local individuals, service clubs and businesses. However, under the direction of Mike Frahm and the help of many others the event continues to be a success.

Anita Tharp and the barbecue fire crew light the coals around midnight to make sure they are just right by the time the cooks arrive around 6:00 a.m. The Odd Fellows Lodge, Rotary Club and many dedicated volunteers work through the night and into the day preparing cowboy style beans, salad, garlic-buttered French bread and corn on the cob.

Roasted over oak coals since the crack of dawn, the Black Angus Tri-Tip Roast is absolutely delectable. Tickets are available from the Sweetheart contestants and at the event which starts at noon.