Blackman Community Club

BLACKMAN 71st ANNUAL BARBECUE

June 27, 2025
5:30-8:30pm

Lane Agri-Park Community Center
315 John Rice Blvd
Murfreesboro

It all began when Blackman’s Home Demonstration Club, now known as the Family Community Education Club (FCE), decided the community needed a regular meeting place. So, the community got together and started the Blackman Barbecue, which celebrated its 70th year in 2019, to raise the funds needed to build the community clubhouse. After the Club was built in 1947, it quickly became a gathering place for the community and helped it stay close-knit for so many years. The Club is still the home of the FCE.

The Barbecue became an annual tradition that drew hundreds and eventually thousands back to the community for fellowship and food.

The Clubhouse is available for rental for family reunions, birthday parties, weddings, showers and community events.

The Club also has a basketball court, playground and pickleball courts that are open to the community to enjoy. An outdoor pavilion is available as first come first serve or can be rented.

The Blackman Barbecue has been on a hiatus since Covid in 2020 but is returning June of 2025. The Barbecue is possibly Rutherford County’s oldest annual event.

For the first time in 71 years, the Blackman Barbecue will not take place.

“This year we decided to go ahead and cancel it. The coronavirus threw us out,” said John L. Batey, president of the Blackman Community Club. “It was a hard decision to make. But everything changes.”

Batey said there were too many “what ifs” to continue with plans for the barbecue, which was set for the last Friday in June.

“It seems so far off. But everything we’ve got to do — planning for food and meat — is right now,” Batey said. “A lot of things might not even open up until July.”

Batey said many members on the planning committee are in at-risk populations for COVID-19, so there was an even bigger consensus to cancel this year’s event.

“We were worried about getting so many people together in a large crowd,” Batey said.

The barbecue was originally started in 1949 when women from the Blackman Home Demonstration Club held a fundraiser to start a community center. After years of fundraising, the Blackman Community Center club was built on Manson Pike.

The Blackman Barbecue became a tradition that drew hundreds, and later thousands, back to the community for fellowship and food.

Eventually, the annual event became so popular that it had to move to Lane-Agri Park and most recently, The Grove at Williamson Place.

The barbecue has always served as a fundraiser for the Blackman Community Club, which maintains the clubhouse and gives out scholarships.

Batey said there is no word if the club will host any other kind of fundraiser in its place this year.

“We’ll just wait and see,” Batey said.

https://www.dnj.com/story/entertainment/dining/2020/05/04/murfreesboro-blackman-barbecue-canceled-due-covid-19-john-l-batey/3078396001/

The Blackman Community Club will be hosting its 70th Blackman Barbecue at The Grove at Williams Place on Friday, June 28th, 2019, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

Tickets: $12.00 adults / $6.00 kids

• Barbecue by our local “Slick Pig”
• Music by “UpTown Country”
• ”Party Animals Entertainment” for kids and the young at heart
• **Homemade desserts by Slick Pig for additional cost, not included in the ticket price.

6:45pm Raffle Drawing:

• *Tim Watts handcrafted ASH rocker
• *ORCA small cooler with Batey meats

BRING YOUR LAWN CHAIRS

All proceeds go towards scholarships, playground, Atlas backpack, building maintenance and other community service projects by the Blackman Community Club.

FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2018
69th Blackman Barbecue at The Grove at Williamson Place
3250 Wilkinson Pike
Murfreesboro TN

TIME – 5pm – 8pm

Tickets – $12.00 adult, $6.00 children and $5.00 admission only

We are excited to have back Smoked Pork BBQ by B & T’s Country Cajun Catering
Music by “Wildcat Ridge”
Live Auction by Auctioneer Steve Sandlin

Bring your lawn chair and fellowship with friends.

Corn Hole, Face Painting, Balloon Art, duck pond, photo booth, ring toss and more!

All proceeds go towards scholarships, playground, Atlas backpack meals, building maintenance and other community service projects by the Blackman Community Club.

Nonprofit and politicians please contact Tammy Sandlin for more information about how you can participate.

For more information email
blackmanclubpresident@gmail.com

Due to the bad weather, rain and flooding we are getting today and tomorrow the Barbecue has been CANCELED for Friday, June 23rd. We have rescheduled it for Friday, June 30th at The Grove.

We are sorry for any inconvenience. Please mark your calendar. We hope to see you need week.

68th Annual Blackman Barbecue
Friday, June 30th (new date)
5:00-8:00pm
at The Grove at Williamson Place
3250 Wilkinson Pike
Murfreesboro TN

Tickets sold at the gate
$12.00 adults
$6.00 kids

Smoked Pork BBQ by B & T’s Country Cajun Catering
Music by the local band “Grasstime”
6pm Special Clogging performance by “SoZo Dance Academy
Live Auction

Corn hole, face painting, antique cars & More! Bring the family.

BRING YOUR LAWN CHAIRS!

Questions – Contact Tammy Sandlin
615-400-2254
blackmanclubpresident@gmail.com
FIND OUR EVENT ON FACEBOOK!

Click links to see featured newspaper article and listen to the live radio with WGNS!
http://www.dnj.com/story/news/2017/05/31/blackman-barbecue-moving-grove-williamson-place/358744001/
http://www.wgnsradio.com/friday-june-2nd-2017-blackman-bbq–cms-39779

UPtown Country Band
Rhonda Tenpenny-Sandra Frans-Teresa Camp are the girl singers
Billy Taylor on electric base
Mike Moser on electric lead guitar
Ray Rice on keyboards
Mark Leonard on drums

On June 24th the Blackman Community Club hosted the 67th Blackman Barbecue at Lane Agri-Park. This year’s proceeds went to the upgrading the current playground.

Our club reached out to a local Boy Scout Troops to find the perfect match for our project. Christine Smith, a sophomore from Oakland High School with Troop 1108, was searching for a project to earn his Eagle Scout. Christine, his father Bill Heringlake, and Scout Master David Kirkham, along with Christine’s troop, meet with the committee and began the planning of the new play ground addition. The troop worked several weekends. We added a new swing, climber, balance bean, spin seat, tunnel, new mulch and boarders. The new pieces are more appropriate for ages 2-5.

We would like to thank the community for supporting our annual Barbecue. It has been a tradition in the community for 67 years. This year we served over 500 people and more than thousands attended.

Blackman Community announces 2017 Officers

President: Tammy Sandlin
Vice President: Andrea Devers
Secretary: Sherry Tidwell
Treasurer: Scott Rowlett / Bobby Francis
Building Rentals: Melissa Batey

The Blackman Community Club would like to announce the winners of the 2015-2016 Scholarships. We received four applications from Blackman High School and four applications from Stewart’s Creek High School. Each application was judged on:

*Application
*The two page essay
*Community Service
*Higher education plans
*Portfolio
*Two letters of recommendation
*Neatness & Creativity

After careful consideration, the Blackman Community Club is honored to announced the winners of the 2016 Scholarships!

From Blackman High: Madison Childers

From Stewarts Creek High: Brianna Bauman

The 67th annual Blackman Barbeque will be from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 24  at Lane Agri-Park located at 315 John R. Rice Blvd. in Murfreesboro. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for children ages 10 and younger. They are being sold now by Blackman Community Club members and will also be available at the door. Proceeds go for upkeep of the Blackman Community Center, the scholarship fund and various service projects.

Food will be prepared by “Country Cajun Catering” by Robert McConnell and Clint Rine featureing outstanding smoked pork.  In addition to dinner the event includes music by “Pork and Beans,” square dancing by the Cripple Creek Cloggers, and John Iden the “Balloon Man” will be there creating his balloon art and sculptures, as well as Face Painting, Corn Hole, an appearance by the Rutherford County fire department and much more.

This is rated a “must see” event, featuring a chance to renew acquaintances and talk politics and meet your candidates.

We would like our event sponsors listed below. Sponsors are in no way affiliated with or endorsed by the Blackman Community Club.