Annual event benefits Bandera Fire and Rescue

Bandera City Park was taken over on Saturday by the Bandera Fire and Rescue’s Annual Firehouse Challenge for a relaxed day of barbeque, fun and cars to benefit Bandera’s Fire and Rescue squad.

As participants sat under canopies in lawn chairs, it had the feel of an old-fashioned picnic at the end of the summer where kids played on the grass and adults fanned themselves under their canopies while drinking beer and sweet tea.

One of the main events was the barbeque cookoff. Seven teams competed in the cookoff from all over the Hill Country.

The event categories were chicken, ribs, brisket, and chef’s choice. The teams relaxed while their entries sizzled on the pits.

Each team was composed of friends and neighbors who got together to camp and cook. Most were up before dawn prepping their entries and the afternoon was a good time to relax with beverages while the cooking finished on the grills. The judge’s pavilion was full of samples for culinary novices to taste.

The open car show drew quite a crowd of entries. There were over 40 cars in the show. Entries ranged from antique to classic to modern sports cars. One of the most unusual entries was an antique hearse and an early 1900’s limited model motorcar.

The cars ranged from shiny beautifully restored vehicles to older model muscle cars. Owners sat next to their cars and were glad to explain the intricacies of the hobby to interested patrons. The beaming sunshine showed off the polished beauty of the vehicles. Each had its hood up for visitors to admire their engines.

The local firehouses competed in fireman’s challenge that consisted of running with hose, putting out a fire, carrying an adult weight dummy along a course, and using a sledgehammer to move a large beam all in full rig and attire.

The challenge showed off a fireman’s skills and abilities to locals who stopped to watch. The fire houses gave each other some good-natured ribbing and demonstrated their equipment to youngsters. The Castle Lake Ranch Fire Department team took home the first-place honors with a time of 45.69 seconds.

A cornhole tournament kept the more laidback members of the crowd busy in the afternoon. Teams of two tossed the bags after great study and technique. The tournament was a great entertainment for adults and kids alike.

The Bandera Fire House and Rescue sponsored a raffle for prizes donated by local business owners.

The Bandera Fire and Rescue sold plate lunches with a drive through or walk-up option as a fundraiser. The Bandera Fire and Rescue wish to thank all the residents who supported their annual fundraiser.