Farm City BBQ draws a crowd each year, to be held Nov. 26, at Collier County Fairgrounds. -FARM CITY BBQ / COURTESY PHOTO
Thanksgiving time in Collier County is expressed collectively in an event with a near 70-year history. Farm City BBQ, on Wednesday Nov. 26, is where volunteer business leaders barbecue a locally grown lunch served by Collier County elected officials. The event honors the people who grow the local food, the land and the entire community.
Melissa Blazier, Collier County Supervisor of Elections. -COURTESY PHOTO
Attendees donned in cowboy hats, jeans and boots feast on locally grown food, giving thanks while paying it forward to the next generation of youth, supporting 4H and other youth organizations.
Among the locally elected celebrity servers will be Collier County Supervisor of Elections Melissa Blazier. She is about as Collier County homegrown as they come.
“I have served our community in the Supervisor of Elections office for nearly 20 years. I was raised in Collier County. This is my home and my family’s home,” said Blazier.
“My parents own Kelly’s Fish House, which is the oldest restaurant in Collier County, so I was pretty much raised in a restaurant.”
She was a server there in her teens and 20s, preparing her well for the future.
Farm City BBQ began 68 years ago when Naples’ business leaders extended a hand toward local farmers during a tough harvest year, ensuring no family would go without on Thanksgiving. The following year, the farmers returned the gesture, and a tradition of mutual support and community care was born.
Now, the event continues to bring thousands of community leaders together.
“It’s like one huge Collier County family reunion,” Blazier said.
She is active with the Leadership Collier Foundation and is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Naples.
Farm City BBQ also benefits Collier County Junior Deputies, Key Clubs of Collier County and Youth Leadership Collier. Farm-City BBQ has raised more than $630,000.
Gloria Padilla, co-chair and community relationship manager of Redlands Christian Migrant Association. -COURTESY PHOTO
“Countless people in our community prepare, transport, market, and retail the food grown right here at 300 farms on almost 150,000 acres in Collier County,” said Gloria Padilla, event co-chair and community relationship manager of Redlands Christian Migrant Association, which supports children in farm working and low-income families in Immokalee through education and networking.
Padilla has 43 years of experience working with RCMA.
Russell Budd, co-founder of PBS Contractors, also serves as event cochair. Elyse Lipman, CEO of Lipman Family Farms, is the event’s honorary chair. Lipman Family Farms is located in Immokalee and is North America’s largest supplier of tomatoes and fresh vegetables.
“Agriculture is the backbone of our region, and events like Farm City BBQ give our farmers a platform to share their stories and collaborate. When the agricultural community has a strong voice, it helps bridge the gap between the farmer and the consumer. It’s not just about recognition—it’s about ensuring that the people who feed and sustain us are part of the broader conversations,” Lipman said.
“There’s something powerful about sharing a meal that was grown right here in our own community. Farm City BBQ creates that moment—where the people who grow the food and the people who enjoy it come together at the same table. When you sit down with a farmer over a plate of fresh squash that was picked down the road or locally raised meat, you gain a whole new understanding of the care, effort, and heart that goes into every bite. That’s the kind of awareness that sticks with people long after the event ends,” Lipman said.
Local celebrity servers include Collier County commissioners Dan Kowal, Chris Hall and Burt Saunders; Collier County Clerk of Courts Crystal Kinzel, Collier County Tax Collector Rob Stoneburner; Kristina Park, president and CEO of the Naples Chamber of Commerce; Everglades City Mayor Howie Grimm; and Timur Aysegul, president of Florida Gulf Coast University, among others.
Elyse Lipman, CEO of Lipman Family Farms, Immokalee. -COURTESY PHOTO
The 68th Annual Farm City BBQ is scheduled 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 26 at the Collier County Fairgrounds, 751 39th Ave NE, Naples.
Live-music is to include Back Country Boys Band with a hearty steak lunch served with Immokalee-grown vegetables. Volunteer business leaders man the grills and sides are served by elected officials.
Tickets are $35 per person for the steak lunch or $45 per person for a steak lunch and drinks package. Prices increase at the event. Visit FarmCityBBQ.com.
In The KNOW
What: FARM CITY BBQ
When: 11 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 26.
Where: Collier County Fairgrounds,
Why: Supporting youth programs, including 4H, Junior Deputies, Key Clubs and Youth Leadership.
Cost: $35 steak lunch; $45 steak lunch and drinks.
How: Visit FarmCityBBQ.com
Original Article Published by Florida Weekly on October 27th, 2025. Click HERE to read.
