‘Wild West Sloppy Joe Fest’ sets inaugural date for July 10

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- A new event is riding into downtown St. Joseph this July, combining Old West flair with a classic comfort food, and organizers are hoping it becomes a lasting tradition.

The “Wild West Sloppy Joe Fest” is set to fill the intersection of Felix Street and North 7th Street on July 10 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Evan Banks, vice president of Main Street St. Joseph, said the idea came together because the area lacked open-access events during the World Cup.

"We knew we were going to see additional tourism, whether from surrounding counties, people near Kansas City who want to watch games, or folks coming from Omaha," Banks said. "We wanted to at least have something for them to do that signals Americana and that Wild West theme."

He added that the festival aims to offer a cultural experience of St. Joseph's history, pointing toward the city's prime days.

Banks said sloppy joes came from a joking matter that came to fruition.

"Saint Joe, sloppy Joe, it's funny. It's low-hanging fruit joke. So we decided to lean into it."

While the main event is the sloppy joe tasting competition, modeled after the St. Joseph Chili Cook-Off rules, the festival will also feature live Wild West entertainment including whip cracking and re-enactors, a sloppy joe eating contest, brew tents, Western-themed vendors, and complimentary hayrides to help people get around from parking areas.

The event is still in its early planning stages, and Banks is actively seeking sponsors, competitors for the cook-off, and tasting ticket buyers.

"We're looking for everything," Banks said. "We have a limited number of people who can fit in the space to compete, but we have plenty of spots open for anybody who wants to represent an organization or thinks they have a mighty recipe."

Banks noted that events like this rely heavily on volunteers.

"Between 10 to 20 individuals log about 600 hours of prep work," he said. "Then the event itself is four to twelve hours depending on what people are doing. Most of that work is coming from people who are very active in the community and focused on giving back."

Tasting tickets are available online and at the event, competitors can reach out to Evan Banks directly.

Attendees are encouraged to dress in cowboy gear and enjoy the free festivities.

The event will take place from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., with the sloppy joe cook-off and tasting experience hosted inside the United at 602 Felix Street.

Felix Street will be closed between 6th and 7th Street.

Sponsorship opportunities can be found here.

More information can be found here.