JULY FOURTH is a day for community, fireworks, parades, and food from the annual Lincoln Barbecue. Every year, members of the Lincoln community line up for the delicious barbecue and homemade lemonade prepared by the Lincoln Cemetery Committee.
It is a tradition that began before World War II. As a generational cemetery board member, Randy Delap has heard a lot about that history.
“The old-timers have always said that the barbecue was started before World War II, and then during the war, they didn’t have it because most of the men had gone off to fight,” Delap said. “When the war was over, they started back doing the barbecue, and the proceeds from it were used to help maintain the cemetery.”
The barbecue has been held every year since 1945, even continuing through COVID-19, and it has grown as the cemetery and the community have grown. A decade ago, people would start lining up at midnight on July 3, the line stretching 100 yards long. While that is no longer the tradition, the line of cars can still stretch from the community center to the store on Lincoln Road.
“It’s really funny, in a little community, to see the cars rolling in and backing up to come and pick up their barbecue,” Delap said. “It makes you proud.”
Feeding that many people requires quite a bit of work. In 2022, the volunteers cooked around 4,000 pounds of ham and mixed about 75 gallons of lemonade. That process starts several days before the barbecue, as cemetery committee members, family, and volunteers meet to cut and
squeeze lemons for the wash tub lemonade. Then, on the morning of July 3, they meet again to begin cooking. That task continues throughout the day and night, up to 7 a.m. on July Fourth, when the barbecue pickup begins. Delap said the family and community aspect is a big part of things.
“It’s just a community thing, and we’re just so blessed to have people who are willing to help,” Delap said. “It’s a family thing. We’ve got members now whose fathers, grandfathers, or uncles have served on the committee over the years.”
Delap’s father and grandfather were involved with the cemetery, and two of his nephews also joined the committee this year. Many of the recipes involved are likewise passed down year after year. The dip is a secret recipe that has been used since the 1940s, and the lemonade recipe and wash tub came from a community member several years ago. That personal history and the excellent barbecue and lemonade are a big part of why the fundraiser has continued for so long.
“The longevity of a fundraiser, I think, most of the time is seven to eight years,” Delap said. “Ours is 79 consecutive years, which is really unbelievable when you think about it; that you can keep people interested in helping [and] people who are still wanting to support a cause.”
The event hasn’t seen many significant changes, either. While the barbecue is mostly pre-sold now and handed out in plastic containers rather than wrapped in butcher paper, things run much the same as they did in the beginning.
“Most of the time, we’re a pretty well-oiled machine,” Delap said.
All proceeds from the barbecue go toward the care and maintenance of the cemetery, as well as proceeds from other Lincoln Cemetery and Lincoln Community Center fundraisers. All proceeds from the barbecue chicken supper, held the first weekend in June, go toward the upkeep of the community center. While it doesn’t have as long a history as the annual Lincoln Barbecue, the chicken supper has been a fundraiser for over 20 years. Such success speaks to the care Fayetteville and Lincoln County have for their cemetery and community center. With such a supportive community, there is no doubt the fundraisers will continue for many years. GN
