Cletus Meagher, left, and Benedict Dyar tend a St. Bernard tradition, standing guard over the abbey's famous Monk's Bread while trying to resist sampling the goods at the 2019 Bernard Blues & BBQ festival.

The Bernard Blues and BBQ Festival is headed back for Halloween this weekend, and it’s got the perfect setup for trick-or-treaters looking to score a little early daytime candy — before hitting up the neighborhood all over again after dark.

After the success of last year’s move down the calendar from September to late October, Blues and BBQ will once again host families who’re encouraged to dress up their kids (and themselves) in their Halloween best, not only for a day of trick-or-treating at more than 80 festival vendors, but to compete for best-costume prizes.

Now in its 5th year, the annual fall celebration of food and music (and candy) will bring guests to the campus of the St. Bernard Abbey for two days of arts, crafts, shopping, music, eating, and more.

“It’s a full weekend of fun for the entire family,” said St. Bernard Prep School marketing director Joyce Nix. “We’ve got a really great slate of unique artists and vendors, and they’ve got hand-made everything: cypress lawn furniture, baskets, pottery, looms, soap, cutting boards, wood turnings, ladies’ jewelry, and Monks’ Bread galore. It’s a one-stop Christmas shopping kind of weekend, especially if you want to get a gift that’s one of a kind.”

The festival runs from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday, and from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $5 per person, and those who enter the $25 online sweepstakes (visit stbernardprep.com/bernard-blues-bbq for more info) will be registered to win more than $12,000 in prizes on Sunday — including a $10,000 grand prize. Admission to the Ave Maria Grotto will be reduced to a $4 entry fee the entire weekend.

As for the BBQ, local caterer Freddie Day will once again fire up the grill to keep the smoky treats coming. That includes hamburgers, bratwurst, grilled Tyson chicken, ribs, and “the best pulled pork in the Southeast,” as Nix puts it. “Grab you some pork and smother it in Johnny’s Barbecue sauce…because you can’t have a barbecue festival in Cullman without it.”

The music will be playing both days too, with the St. Bernard Jazz Band kicking things off Saturday at 9:30 a.m., followed by Incognito Cartel with shows at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. On Sunday, Bessemer cigar box guitar great Earl “Guitar” Williams will perform from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., followed by gospel/Bluegrass artists The Sinners from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Guests are welcome to bring their lawn chairs and enjoy the music on both days in front of the festival steps.

As always, pets aren’t allowed at Blues and BBQ, so make sure to leave them in someone else’s care before you head out. “But be sure to buy them a pet treat and take it home so they don’t feel left out!” adds Nix. “We’ve got locally made treats and pet bandanas — because pets need presents, too.”

This year’s main sponsors for Bernard Blues and BBQ are Merchants Bank and LeafFilter Gutter Protection, but Nix said a long list of of other local sponsors also pitch in to help ensure the festival’s success from year to year. “We’ve got a long list of ‘em, and they’re all fantastic. We simply could not do this each year without them,” she said. “They really are reaching out to help promote the community.”