Bash Has More Fun Planned Than Ever

Residents of the Upstate who have been waiting for the annual Summer Bash in Mauldin will be pleased to know that this year’s event will be worth the extra few weeks wait.

Officially named the City of Mauldin’s 3rd Annual Summer Bash 2011 & BBQ Throwdown, the event will be held at Sunset Park this Saturday starting at 8 a.m. and running through 2 p.m.

In addition to the date being moved back, the Bash was switched to the daytime. According to Julia Monson, who has coordinated the event for all three years of its existence, that was a decision borne out of hosting the BBQ contest, which is sponsored by the local GEICO office. “They cook all night long on Friday and have to turn their plates in to the judges by 10 on Saturday morning,” she said.

Monson said that the event has the dual goals of being affordable and a good time. “It’s really a way for people in Mauldin to get to know each other and have fun while doing it,” she said. “But we also know people have it tight, so we wanted to limit the number of vendors.”

Judging on previous year’s attendance, the Bash has been nothing short of a smashing success. Last year approximately 2,500 attended, roughly triple of the year before. “The response has been awesome,” Monson said.

And the 2011 version looks poised to be the best yet with a Fun Run, a Zumbathon and plenty of mascots to appeal to children, including the GEICO Gekko, , Walter Pals, Greenville Road Warrior Rowdy, and Dunkin Doughnuts Mascots.

Other activities include:

• Bungee jumping

• Mechanical Bull Riding

• Helicopter rides

• A corn hole tournament (the winner gets a grand prize of a shopping bag full of corn)

• Jousting

• Basketball Free throw contest

• Obstacle course

• Bounce House

• Flag Football games

• Face Painting

• Complete Kids Section with games,, arts-n-crafts and prizes

• Live music courtesy of Russ Moore.

Regardless of how successful the 2011 Bash is, Monson will still be looking to help it grow. “We want to keep making it better and keep trying to anticipate what will make the community happy,” she said. “We really want to build it.”