Eggs on the Beach: Where charity meets charcoal
By Michelle Farnham
Aug. 11, 2023
MIRAMAR BEACH – Every fall, something special fires up in Seascape Towne Centre. Teams of grilling enthusiasts huddle around rows of smoking Big Green Egg grills, cooking their hearts out in the name of culinary glory and charity. This year’s ninth installment of the Eggs on the Beach grilling competition promises bigger and better things Saturday, Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sponsored by Bay Breeze Patio’s Susan Kiley and Wayne Paul, event co-organizer Tracy Louthain shared some details of what’s cooking for 2023.
Q: For someone who hasn’t attended before, what do attendeeds (tasters) get for their ticket?
A: Tasters receive five votes and can try unlimited bites from 25-plus cook teams. The event also includes spirits samples, live music, and chances to win prizes in a beautiful setting at Seascape Towne Centre. It’s a deliciously fun day while raising funds for important local causes. You’ll leave with a full tummy and full heart.
Q: Are there any new facets planned for this year’s EggFest?
A: Yes! We’re going to add a kids’ cooking competition this year. It will be limited to five teams. Kids ages 8 to 14 can enter a team and they must have one adult for supervision.
Q: How many cook teams are you expecting to have in 2023?
A: We’re expecting 25 teams. We’re hopeful that InDyne (founding sponsor/cook team) will be back as well as some of the great non-profits including Boys & Girls Club, Healing Paws, South Walton Academy, and Sinfonia Gulf Coast, to name a few.
Q: What are the teams competing for this year in the different categories?
A: Cook Team Prizes: The “People’s Choice” grand prize is a large Big Green Egg (valued at over $1,000). Second place prize is a medium Big Green Egg and runner-up will win a Mini-Max portable Big Green Egg.
Non-profit Team Prizes: Win a donation to your favorite charity. The non-profit cook team with the most taster votes will win a $3,000 donation for their cause. The second place winner will receive a $2,000 donation for their non-profit and the runner-up will receive a $1,000 donation. The entry fee is waived for all Non-Profit Cook Teams!
Judges Awards: Our celebrity judging panel will taste cook team bites and vote for their favorites. Trophies are presented for first, second and third place.
Kids Awards: Grand Prize: Mini-Max Big Green Egg, second place prize: Grilling Tools Set, third place prize: Grilling Tools Set.
There will also be a “Best Bite” category.
Q: How much money was raised for your two charities last year, and do you know total dollars raised since the event began?
A: The 8th annual Big Green Egg cooking competition, Eggs on the Beach, raised $45,000 for local non-profits. Proceeds from the event were divided between the winning non-profit cook teams and the two benefiting charities: Food for Thought and Fisher House of the Emerald Coast. This year, they both received a $19,500 donation to support their missions. Since its inception in 2013, Eggs on the Beach has donated more than $250,500 to local non-profits.
For more information and Taster Ticket presales, visit www.eggsonthebeach.com. Seascape Towne Center is located at 556 Seascape Drive in Miramar Beach.
Photos by Michelle Farnham
