Grass Valley, CA – The Rotary Club of Grass Valley announces that this year’s Halloween Trick or Tri-Tip Drive Thru dinner fundraiser will be a Santa Maria style BBQ. On Saturday October 31st from 4 pm to 6 pm guest can drive thru at Lyman Gilmore Middle School to pick up their meals. Tickets are now available online only at www.gvrotary.org for $15 per meal or a family meal for $50 and must be ordered in advance. The traditional Santa Maria style BBQ is a complete tri-tip dinner with salad, beans, salsa, and garlic bread. Proceeds from the event support local youth programs and the schools we sponsor such as Lyman Gilmore Middle School, Rotary Youth Programs, and local scholarships for youth to name a few.
“Last year’s event was a huge success and this year we decided to mix it up and provide a Santa Maria style dinner. We wanted to provide a COVID friendly event that will support our local youth activities and will be a great way for families to enjoy Halloween and receive a wonderful meal,” said event chair Patrick Ward. “We encourage everyone to dress up in costume as you drive thru. Our club members will be dressed up as you pick up your meal. Please wear your mask and follow safe guidelines as we will as well.”
Santa Maria-style barbecue is a regional culinary tradition rooted in the Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara County on the Central Coast of California. This method of barbecuing dates back to the mid-19th century and is today regarded as a “mainstay of California’s culinary heritage.”The traditional Santa Maria-style barbecue menu was copyrighted by the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce in 1978. Santa Maria-style barbecue centers around beef tri-tip, seasoned with black pepper, salt, and garlic before grilling over coals of native coast live oak, often referred to as “red oak” wood.
Recently the Rotary Club of Grass Valley provided funds to the Read Me A Story childhood literacy program through Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital. The club also sponsors Lyman Gilmore Middle School including the student of the month and has funded projects to update the playground and build an amphitheater. The Rotary Club of Grass Valley provides scholarships to local youth, supports leadership programs and supports many nonprofits in the community that help local children.