Amador County – Saint Sava Church is sponsoring its 57th Annual Goat Barbecue over Memorial Day Weekend.

Father Steve Tumbas said the Goat Barbecue regularly draws more than 100 people but a decade ago, a lot more people from the community would come. So he would like to let everyone know it is still occurring and they would like to get more people to attend.

The Goat Barbecue is open to anyone and Saint Sava Church is taking reservations. Tumbas said it is kind of “exclusive” because they must limit seating to 130 people to ensures they have enough food and seating.

Tumbas said the barbecue is made with a specially designed and built pit that holds 16 goats. Roasting begins at daybreak, around 5:30 a.m., and lasts until noon, when carving begins. Lunch begins at approximately 1 p.m.

Tumbas said “we’re trying to remind people” about the event which has been a mainstay of the local Serbian community for more than half a century. He said it got its start from the local practice of eating goats, and “50-some years ago, it’s what people ate. Goats are very undemanding animals. They eat just about everything” and “it was just cheap food.”

He said in the Mediterranean region, goat meat is commonly consumed, and more goat meat is consumed worldwide than beef or chicken.

He raises a few goats himself, not for the barbecue, but just to remove vegetation that is harmful to horses. He said goats “eat everything that our horse shouldn’t.” He rotates goats and horses into pastures to keep down the harmful vegetation.

The 57th Annual St. Sava Church Goat Barbecue is noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 27 at the Church Social Hall on North Main Street. It will have live traditional Serbian folk music with strings and accordion.

Cost is $30 per adult, and includes a buffet with pasta and meat sauce, and Serbian pastries.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.