Barbecue might be what most turned out for at the Smokin’ the Fort event Saturday morning, but some events outshined brisket and ribs.

With live Bluegrass music, a pumpkin pie eating contest, and loads of sweet and spicy meat, the schooner race turned out to be a pleasant surprise for many attendees.

Fort Gibson's Sanitation Department pulled a prairie schooner made from a junked trash cart and other odds and ends they dug up.

“We made everything from scratch,” said Bill James, the wagon driver. “Everything just came right out of the trash.”

Smokin' the Fort chairperson Brad Clinkenbeard brought his schooner, complete with carousel horse to “pull” it along.

Students Kacy Cook and Cale Parnell pushed while Clinkenbeard “steered” with his chin practically on his knees inside his schooner.

As the crowd lined Lee Street waiting for the race to begin, Clinkenbeard said, “Malfunction here. Anyone got some duct tape?”

Someone on the other team laughingly said, “Aw, if it turns over just keep dragging it!”

At “Go!”, both teams rushed off to a good start. Ricky Whitehead and Gary James pulled the trash schooner, pulling ahead to an early lead.

Nevertheless, Clinkenbeard's plastic steed won “by a nose”, he said.

The race was apparently so entertaining, several of the spectators ran to the finish line and requested a re-do.

The panting workhorses respectively declined to do the race again.

Earlier in the day, while visitors strolled Fort Gibson downtown nibbling on brisket, ribs and chicken, 10 contestants competed in a pumpkin pie-eating contest in Centennial Park.

The contestants included animal control officer Jim Whitehead, Gary Perkins of the Chamber of Commerce and Clinkenbeard.

Curt Lawson of Coweta cleaned his tin first, claiming the victory, but Perkins jokingly claimed he was only three bites behind the winner.

“I'm claiming the honorable mention,” Perkins kidded.

Though Clinkenbeard chaired the event, he also worked hard to enjoy it all as well — eating pie as fast as he could, racing a wagon, and reclining in chair he brought to relax in near his smoker.

David Bowden enjoyed that recliner too, sneaking a seat while Clinkenbeard handled event tasks and devoured pie.

Bowden and his son Ryan tried their hand at the barbecue contest, naming their booth “Old Town BBQ.”

The men said they barbecue quite a bit for family cookouts, and really just find it all a bit of fun.

“We just came to socialize,” David Bowden said. “Oh, and see what other people thought of our barbecue.”

Other fun-loving locals competed in the cook off too, including Jimmy “Roho” Rowan, dressed in hockey mask, jumpsuit, and weilding a large butcher knife.

He didn't threaten a soul, however, just chopped up ribs to serve to amused passersby and handed out chocolate bars.

At the end of the day, Fort Gibson Church of Christ brought home the People's Choice Church award and Fort Gibson State Bank won the overall People's Choice honor for their barbecue.

Grand champion of the barbecue cookoff went to Little Pigtown of Owasso. Reserve grand champion was Buffalo BBQ of Sperry.