One of the early traditions of Monroe's St. Thomas Episcopal Church is the annual bar-b-q.
"In the church's former location on Filhiol, everything was done at the church, by the church," says Barbara Malley, a longtime member at St. Thomas. "There was a great big pit in the back of the church that had a cover. The men of the church would get chips to make their own charcoal. They would begin preparing beef and pork loins at 3 a.m. to be ready for serving later in the day," she said.
The church celebrates it's 60th annual bar-b-q this Saturday at 5:30 p.m. "There will be sides like potato salad and baked beans. Plus, cakes and other desserts," says church member Karen Niemla.
Proceeds from the fundraiser go toward church projects and upkeep. In recent years, a walking path and fishing pier were completed with funding from the annual event.
Tickets for the bar-b-q are available by calling the church at 343-4089.