It may not be fall quite yet, but the start of the fall outdoor party season is upon us. It kicks off this Sunday, August 29, with Bardog Tavern’s second birthday. They’ll be partying in the alley next door to Bardog from 9 AM to 6 PM, and then the party will continue inside until 1 AM.
This year it’s a party with a cause: Most of the money raised will go to St. Jude. I say “most” because St. Jude does not accept donations raised from the sale of alcohol. That’s okay, though, because there are still many more opportunities to support the cause, including a dunk tank, VIP tables, raffle, 5K, and food sales. Call 901-275-8752 to reserve a table.
There will be a “Bust Grandma’s Balls” challenge, to see who can eat the most meatballs in 8 minutes. These are Bardog’s famous meatballs, whose recipe came from Aldo’s grandmother… and Grandmom herself will be there to judge the competition. They’re still looking for contestants – call 901-275-8752 if interested. The event will occur at 5:30 PM in the alley.
You can reserve a 6-10 seat VIP table for $1500. Each table gets a bottle of Fireball, a bottle of Jameson, and unlimited sliders and PBR. Bardog will also put a banner on your table, to show your company or organization’s support of St. Jude.
There will be an all-day raffle going on from noon to 6, with great prizes like a New Belgium Fat Tire bike to be won.
There will be a dunking booth, and you can buy balls and attempt to dunk your favorite bartenders and servers. If you weren’t there last year, let me tell you, Jean in the dunking booth is a sight to see.
“The Backsliders” will provide live music in the alley from noon to 6.
Before the party, there will be a Bardog 5K to raise funds for St. Jude. The first 150 entrants will get a goody bag with a T-shirt and mug. Race starts at 9 AM, and participants get free PBR and burgers until 11 AM. Sign up for the race here. Not a runner? Doesn’t matter, there will be plenty of people walking.
You can view my photo album of last year’s party here. I took almost 150 pics. Actually, I took over 150 pics, but about 10 of the dunking booth were deemed “not fit for public posting.” Which is all the more reason you need to be down there, so you don’t miss those moments. There are also a few videos on YouTube – search for “Aldo getting dunked” or something like that.
This is the best alley party of the year thrown by any Downtown bar. You don’t want to miss it! And the weekend after that, festival season really kicks into high gear with the Memphis Music & Heritage Festival. More details on that festival coming soon.