Pacific tourism director calls inaugural Route 66 Barbecue Battle a success; planning under way for next year

At a Tourism Commission meeting, Tourism Director O'Malley said the inaugural 360 Route 66 Barbecue Battle & Bluegrass Festival drew positive feedback from vendors, competitors and attendees but was limited by extreme heat and lower-than-expected turnout.

O'Malley said the Barbecue Society called the event "fantastic" and that festival organizers heard unusually strong first-year praise. Organizers will hold a planning meeting the following day to set a date for next year and to pursue renewed sponsorship, including reapplying to Missouri State for support. The Board of Aldermen previously approved work on next year's event at a recent budget meeting, O'Malley said.

The director said final financials were not yet available and that invoices were still pending; in the meeting transcript she described preliminary net receipts as "around $10" while awaiting outstanding bills. Revenue sources cited for the starter fund included sponsorships, sanctioning fees, vendor fees, the kids zone, people's choice proceeds and T-shirt sales. O'Malley said many attendees and vendors were from outside Pacific, and that the beer vendor, Cigar Vault, reported a substantial out-of-town presence.

Commissioners discussed moving the festival date to early May to avoid overlapping with graduation weekends and Memorial Day events and to limit exposure to the hottest weather. Commissioners and organizers also noted the event's strong social media visibility and that several competitors expressed interest in returning; the Barbecue Society indicated the commission's organization ranked highly among recent first-year festivals, which organizers said could boost competitor numbers next year.

O'Malley asked for more signage on roadways to guide out-of-town visitors to Liberty Field and for additional volunteers to staff future events. The commission did not take a formal vote on festival dates during the meeting; planners said they would provide a date and return to the Board of Aldermen for any formal approvals needed.

The commission also thanked volunteers and staff who ran long days during the festival and said they would use the positive feedback in future outreach and sponsorship requests.