Musical acts will provide the entertainment for the 2020 Bernard Blues and BBQ festival this weekend. 

It’s been a whole year since St. Bernard’s been able to throw a party. Sidelined by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s spring Bloomin’ Festival was canceled, pinning all the Abbey’s festival hopes this year on the Bernard Blues & BBQ event — which, as the months (and the pandemic) wore on, wasn’t guaranteed.

Thankfully, says marketing director Joyce Nix, the Abbey and the school are moving forward with the annual Blues & BBQ, which is set to kick off Saturday for a two-day celebration. Back for the fourth year, the still-growing fall fest feature plenty of smoked meats from caterer Freddie Day, blues music through the weekend, a Halloween-themed costume contest for kids, and a full lineup of arts & crafts vendors happy to have an event — no matter how late it comes in the year — to sell their unique goods. 

“We’ve really got a great show lined up, which is a relief, I think, for everyone,” said Nix on Wednesday. “Our vendor areas are full, we’ve got plenty of room for social distancing, we’ve gotten great sponsorship and support from the community, and we’ve got a full weekend lined up so people can get out and hopefully enjoy some of the festival type of activities that they’ve been missing all summer.”

The kids’ costume contest kicks off at 2 p.m. on Saturday, which works out nicely since Saturday is Halloween. Costumes will be judged across four categories including cutest, spookiest, funniest, and most original, with prizes going to the winners. 

Trick-or-treating at vendor booths will be open to all kids as well, while everyone can sample the BBQ meats supplied by sponsor Tyson, enjoy All Steak Orange Rolls and Dyron’s Low Country seafood gumbo provided by Dyron Powell, and snap up some St. Bernard Monks’ Bread (as well as the monks’ new line of cookies) before they’re all gone. 

Nix said the chance to bring people out, in a year where public gatherings have been few and far between, is a blessing the St. Bernard staff and students are looking forward to. Plus, it’s a way to raise some much-needed funds for the Prep School, especially since the Bloomin’ Festival wasn’t able to help bear some of the school’s annual fundraising burden.

“It’s for a great cause, and I think it’s really something people are ready for,” she said. “We want families to get their kids all dressed up, come with a big appetite, and just knock yourself out and have a good time. Of course we’re still encouraging that people bring their masks and be courteous and mindful of public health precautions. But with a great weather forecast and with this being an outdoor event, we’re hopeful that this will be something that everyone can enjoy safely.”

To register your child for the Halloween costume contest, visit the school’s Facebook page, or just head over to the children’s play area between 1:30 p.m. and the contest’s 2 p.m. Saturday start time. The school also will hold a cash giveaway totaling more than $12,000 on Sunday, including a $10,000 grand prize. 

Hours for Bernard Blues & BBQ are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1. For more information about this year’s Blues & BBQ, visit the school’s website at stbernardprep.com and click on the “News & Events” tab.