Promoted as “The Ultimate Vancouver Backyard BBQ”, Unbuckled 2016 promised to be bigger and better than last year with increased capacity for up to 2500 people and an expanded concert lineup.
So we decided to grab our bandannas and cowboy boots and head over to Brocton Oval in Stanley Park for some southern grub, music and good times!
When we arrived there were crowds of people all having a good time dancing, eating and drinking with most dressed up in their favorite Western gear. Live music was playing and there were plenty of activities happening including mechanical bull riding, potato sack racing, tug of war and of course line dancing.
Tickets were $29.50 which included, if you arrived before 5pm, a BBQ starter pack with a beverage, smokie and freezie. If you were planning a group night out, another option was to rent a Yard (a 16 x 16 plot of grass with a picnic table and hay bales) as a place for you to hang out with 20 of your friends.
Cost of a Yard was $225 if you wanted to decorate it yourselves and more if you wanted it pre-done (admission cost extra).
Trippler’s Saloon served up a variety of beverages at reasonable prices; however the line-ups were long and they ran out of mix early. Tokens were available for purchase at $4 each with food costing from 1-3 tokens each. There were Cowboy favourites like beef brisket, baked beans, corn bread and pull pork sandwiches and more. One of the more popular spots was Cup-a-Corn which offered up corn kernels with a big range of flavouring choices.
The live bands included Harproonist & the Axe Murderer, Willhorse, an all-male country rock band from Golden BC and Locked & Loaded.
Overall, it was a fun event and wonderful that it was produced in support of The Music Heals Charitable Foundation.
Review by Cindy Smith
Pictures by Ron Smith
Disclaimer: We were provided complimentary admission to this event and a free drink as they had run out of the BBQ starter packs.
