The annual ‘Crawfish for Cancer’ benefit is amongst the many New York City highlights of early summer. Bringing hundreds upon hundreds of revelers to the Upper West Side’s Boat Basin Café, the full day event showcases some of the south’s finest fare and traditions amid the setting of the Hudson River waterfront. Resulting from the perennial success of the non-profit’s event, the folks at Sweet Tea City have continued upon this tradition with an even more fitting one, and their ‘BBQ Tailgate’ series returned to the Boat Basin on Saturday afternoon for five full hours that encapsulate all that is good about living down south.

The persistent threat of rain during the festivities did little to deter thirsty crowds from coming out to enjoy the ‘Tailgate.’ Promises of endless trays of barbecue, bottomless beers and wines- not to mention some Southern inspired cocktails featuring Sweet Tea Vodka- and live music were enticing enough to sufficiently fill the covered portion of the Boat Basin’s main dining area. Meanwhile, the day’s biggest college football games were shown on the many big screens in the outdoor setting, lending credence to the ‘tailgate’ feel that so many had looked forward to.

Grabbing fresh pours of ice cold domestic draughts- after all, it’s not a tailgate without the likes of Bud Light and Busch- we quickly stacked up plates of delicious ‘cue provided by Brother Jimmy’s BBQ. With plates in hand, we immediately dove into a quintessential Southern staple…the “Pulled Pork Sandwich.” Each sandwich, piled high with succulent smoked pork, sweet BBQ sauce and Cole slaw would make even the most genuine Southern gentleman jealous. Piping hot “Bratwursts” and sweet “Baked Beans” also made their way onto our plates as the beer continued to go down smooth with such an array of savory comfort food.

Though it wound up mattering little, the rain did prove to be a bit of a detriment to an otherwise festive afternoon. Whether you were rooting for big football programs like Georgia or South Carolina, or just wanted to hang out and watch the two live bands play throughout the day while slugging down beer after beer, the team at Sweet Tea City always manages to equip The Boat Basin with enough entertainment to satisfy the locals. The only thing that was missing was a good old Southern bonfire.

- Meghan Hubbard