HAM-JAM Set for Friday, Saturday Downtown

The 2019 EffingHAM-JAM is set for Friday evening and Saturday in downtown Effingham.

The event is sponsored by Koerner Distributor, John Boos and Company, and the Chamber Foundation of Effingham County, along with the Kansas City Barbecue Society.

Friday evening will feature the Hometown Throwdown Corporate Challenge, while Saturday is the official Kansas City Barbecue Society barbecue competition. The Hometown Throwdown begins at 5:30pm Friday, while the KCBS competition runs from noon to 2pm with awards at 4pm Saturday.

25 teams are coming from across Illinois as well as Indiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Minnesota to compete in the KCBS State Championship BBQ Cookoff on Saturday afternoon. There are 11 local teams in the Friday night Hometown Throw Down/Corporate Challenge competition.

Other Friday activities will include a Hog Jog 5K walk/run starting at 6pm at Effingham Public Library; and music including 1973 from 5:30 to 6:30pm, Ultrasonic from 7:30 to 9pm, and Kilborn Alley Blues from 9:15 to 10:30pm. There will be kids activities including an obstacle course from 5 to 8pm sponsored by The Equity and bumper cars from 5 to 10pm.

Other Saturday events will include a Pigs and Pancakes breakfast from 8 to 10am sponsored by Siemer Milling, Continental Mills, and McMahon Meats, along with Effingham Rotary. The kids activities will be back including a power wheels derby at 1pm, the bumper cars and obstacle course, and a dilly bar contest from 1 to 2pm sponsored by Dairy Queen, along with more music; The Troubadors from 11:15 to 12:30, Quick and Bradley from 12:45 to 2pm, and Bumpin' from 2:15 to 4pm.