Chester County celebrates youth conference, BBQ Festival

HENDERSON, Tenn. — Chester County is gearing up for a full weekend of events.

Freed-Hardeman University will host more than 1,000 middle and high school students for their annual youth conference RUSH. This year’s theme: Collision Course.

“You’re going to run into people every single day of your life. You’re going to run into situations both good and bad, so the question is how do you respond to those collisions you have in your life,” FHU Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management Joe Askew said.

Askew says this time of year, other schools aren’t hosting events like this, which makes it unique.

While there are 1,400 students in Henderson for RUSH, they’ve got a chance to pig out at the Chester County BBQ Festival.

“This year’s festival is our 42nd annual,” said Channing Carroll with Henderson/Chester County Chamber of Commerce. “It started on the courthouse lawn, and as you can see we’ve expanded all the way down Main Street. We have rides, fried foods, we have of course BBQ.”

There are also several shopping vendors.

Community members say the festival is great for the whole family.

“You see people you work with, that you went to school with, whatever,” said Casey Dancy, a nurse at Henderson Health Care. “It’s a good family thing because they have little kid rides.”

And this weekend, they’ll make a lot of BBQ sandwiches.

“So we make, it’s the equivalent to 14,000 BBQ sandwiches,” Carroll said. “We also do ribs and chicken, but that’s the equivalent to what we do.”

They’ll wrap up Friday night with a free concert at 9 p.m.

The BBQ Festival continues Saturday with a pet parade at 9 a.m., followed by pictures with Disney princesses and superheroes.