Meatfest Beach Party

Back in 2000, I wanted to throw a beach party simply because I had never done so. It seemed like a quintessential college experience, and I wasn't about to let one of those pass me by.

I prefer not to leave regrets in my wake. The first was a small gathering of friends where we grilled a lot of meat, hence the name. Over the next few years, the party grew and grew. The most recent one was absolutely over the top!

We packed up over 50 lbs of meat and all of the incidentals along with an ATV golf cart and enough fireworks to light up the night's sky like it was 4th of July. After arriving at the cabin and unpacking, we loaded up the golf cart and cruised on down to the beach to set up the grill, pavilion, and volleyball net.

We also had to throw in some horseshoes and washer boards just for kicks. The day was gorgeous, blue skies and a full sun shining down on us approvingly. The volleyball was batted around, horseshoes thrown and plenty of meat devoured. The donut and Figure-8 competition was an hour filled with spills, thrills and chills!

As much fun as the day is, the nights are always the main attraction. I feel it important to mention at this point that all of my crew were wearing their Meatfest t-shirts (slogan: I came, I saw, I conquered ... But I don't remember much!), all 25 of them. The crowd that gathered later had to have quadrupled our numbers! As the day faded into night, the bonfire roared to life like a shining beacon calling out to all those seeking the next great experience.

We did not disappoint.

A couple of years previous, I made friends with a troupe of fire performers who were looking for a good time. For coming out and performing, we covered all of their expenses. A small price for so much fun! The fire breather lit up the night with gouts of flame, as close to a dragon as I've seen. The fire twirler could barely be seen for the whirling blades and chains of fire that crisscrossed your vision, arcs and swirls of flame everywhere you looked.

Interspersed with the fire show was the fireworks display. For this evening, my friends and I made a 12-shot artillery shell cannon. I'm telling you 12 artillery shells going off at once make one heck of a boom and dispel the night for a few brief seconds of sparkle and flash. This continued on into the wee hours of the morning until we were all exhausted.

I can say without any reserve that this was the best beach party I have thrown yet! Can't wait to try to top it next year ;)