RISON - When the Wilson family started preparing a Christmas meal for employees of Wilson Bros. Lumber Company in the 1980s, they never expected it to grow beyond the company - much less feeding hundreds if not thousands three decades later.
Frank, Harrell and Jeff Wilson join the latest episode of the Free Range Conversations Podcast to discuss the Rison tradition many call the social event of the year - the Wilson Bros. Barbecue.
The podcast, co-hosted by Britt Talent, Douglas Boultinghouse and Roy Phillips is streaming now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and at clevelandcountyherald.com Held last Tuesday, Dec. 10, the annual event saw over 800 people in attendance, with an additional 400 picking up to-go plates.
According to Frank, the very first "lunch" began with his mother making sandwiches for the employees on the last day of work before the three-day Christmas break.
After a couple of years, Frank decided to just buy barbecue until friends started volunteering to do the cooking, which prompted him to start inviting friends and business associates to the luncheon.
The event outgrew the original location at the sawmill and moved to the "Y" Community Center where it was held for several years until the mid-90s when the new shop was built for the lumber company.
It is an event attended far and wide from people as far as California and Iowa, and from all walks of life, from mill workers to bank or university presidents to governors.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders attended this year's event, carrying on the tradition from former Gov. Asa Hutchinson who faithfully attended.
According to the Wilsons, its not uncommon to cross paths with congressmen, senators and representatives from both sides of the political spectrum at the barbecue.
The trio of Wilsons share just how long it takes to cook 3,000 pounds of meat (brisket, pulled pork and ribs) with a signature homemade sauce - plus the side dishes of baked beans, coleslaw, sweet and hot pickles.
"We start cooking the Wednesday before," said Frank as he explains the process of cooking, wrapping and freezing the meat, then warming it up.
He said the process tenderizes the meat and adds flavor that some attendees from Texas tell him is "The best brisket and ribs they've had." According to Jeff, they have around 60-70 people cooking over three days to get everything ready.
The event used to be held right before Christmas, but as the family relied on wives and community members to prepare dishes and hundreds of homemade desserts, they settled on moving it up to the second Tuesday of each year.
According to Harrell, they do not send out formal invitations for fear of missing anyone, so take an open-invitation approach instead.
"I tell people, if you're here this year, you're invited back next year," he said.
During the podcast, the family also shares a few mishaps (and pranks) they have experienced over the years such as launching a scavenger hunt for 150 bottles of meat tenderizer across Pine Bluff and Little Rock, or the time someone decided to hide all the meat to make them think it had been stolen.
Those memories, and giving back to the community, are what keep the family motivated to keep the tradition going.
According to Jeff, "We'll go until it's no longer fun."