RiverPark Cooleemee Bullhole 10th Annual Catfish Fry 10-20-2012

 

Fried Catfish Lunch to Raise Funds for the Bull Hole RiverPark

One of my favorite places in the whole world is the Bull Hole. It's now officially RiverPark Cooleemee, North Carolina, but most locals still call it the Bullhole and say that long years ago a bull fell in a hole in the area and drowned. I can't vouch for that old story, but I have over a thirty year history with the natural sandy river beach on the county lines of Rowan and Davie.

 

RiverPark, Cooleemee (NC) - Bullhole

When I was in high school, students used to go out to Bull Hole on weekends. There's not much to do around here, so it was fun to slip over to the Yadkin River and play in the waterfall, slide on the rocks, and roast hot dogs.

It wasn't actually legal to go to the Bull Hole back then. The land was privately owned but never appeared to be used. It went on the block, and locals pulled together to buy the land and make the Bull Hole an official park for the area.

That's where the catfish fry comes in . . .

The first catfish fry helped secure the land, and the ones now help pay for employees to keep the park open, clean, and safe. This year (2012) is the 10th year.

 

Details on the Bull Hole Catfish Fry 2012

If you live anywhere close Salisbury, NC, then I'd encourage you to drive out for the fish and to support the beautiful RiverPark. You get on 801 and look for the turn signs near the big Yadkin Bridge on the Rowan County side of the line. The entrance is also on the Rowan side. If you get lost, just ask. People know the park and can get you pointed in the right direction.

You can buy tickets ahead or at the park on the day of the fish fry. The cost is $8, and you get a big plate of fried-on-the-spot fish (which is fabulous), fries, slaw, and hush puppies plus drinks. It's a really good deal for a really great meal.

The hours are 11 to 2, and I shoot for 12 at the latest. I'd hate for them to sell out before I got there.

In addition to the food and fellowship, they always have some local bluegrass bands on hand for entertainment. The music is always good, and bluegrass is just perfect for the natural feel of the park.

Enjoy Local Bluegrass Along with Fried Fish

Also note that they have a silent auction (funds also going to the park). They had a lot of neat prizes donated by local companies. I bid and won on gift certificates to several local restaurants that I'd not tried before. Mom got some pretty fall flowers potted. Another lady had bid too and lost, so Mom just gave her one of the plants. It's a friendly kind of gathering like that.

Oops - Can't Make it Saturday?

If you can't make the fish fry on Saturday, still think about visiting RiverPark Cooleemee at another time. It really is very pretty park. You can walk the trails or bring a grill and have a cook out or play  in the water when it's warm weather. For a bigger event, you can rent the shelter which is really nice with lots of space.

Barbecue Cook Out After Thanksgiving - Nice Change of Pace

Thanksgiving leftovers are terrific, but we were ready for a change of pace. So, we packed up the Portable Kitchen grill and headed out to the Bull Hole River Park in Cooleemee, NC for a "day after" cook out.

With the temperatures in the lower 50s, it was a good day to get outside and burn off some holiday calories. Plus, I love to grill, so it was an easy meal after turkey day which is pretty labor intensive as everyone knows.

The PK grill is cast aluminum, so it holds the heat and smoke as you can see in the photo. Actually, the PK doubles as a great smoker. It really cranks the smoke like here when I lifted the lid to check the food.


The Bull Hole is a beautiful spot for a cook out. It's on the Yadkin River with lots of trees and trails. Our new relatives (Mom got married this year) really enjoyed the scenery and the chance to get out in the fresh air after a couple of days in the house.


My sister brought some kind of game where you toss these balls on a string at stands with different levels. It's a bit like horseshoes or cornhole but with string balls. It worked out great for the adults and kids (with the kids standing closer to even things out). I need to check and find out the name of the game. It works out well for a cook out.


With a lot of burgers and hot dogs to grill and with it cold outside, I offset the coals. In other words, the coals are just on one end of the PK grill.

This grilling offset gave me space to barbecue grill but the cooler end of the grill to keep the food warm and for those who like cheese to add a slice and have it actually melt. Yes. We are spoiled (-:

Also note that I take a thick frying pan with a lid to help in keeping the food hot as it comes off the grill.

With the offset grilling and a skillet to hold the heat, I go slightly under the doneness on the meat as it continues to cook a bit more on the cooler end of the grill and in the holding skillet.


I grilled the burgers up first, since they take longer. Then, I put them on the cooler side of the grill and grilled up the hot dogs which don't take much time at all.

That hot end of the grill also worked out well for family members who like hot dogs grilled crisp. Most of the kids like the hot dogs lightly grilled, but some of the adults like hot dogs pretty well charred. No problem. With the offset on the barbecue coals, I could grill to order with very little effort.


Mom said "Yahoo!" for an easy meal out of the kitchen and some space to move around and burn off some energy. Anyone with kids in the family will relate. Gotta love those little ones, but they sure have energy to spare. So, a cook out was just the ticket after a traditional holiday dinner the day before.

Eli Honored at RiverPark Cooleemee - Bull Hole - NC

It was a family trip out to the Bull Hole in Cooleemee, NC today where Eli was honored for saving a drowning teenager earlier this year. That happened when I was hosting a Carolina Cook Out through Food Buzz (an online foodie site). Those who follow my blog will likely remember that Eli went into the Yadkin when he heard the kid yelling for help, and the two boys were swept down the river. It was 20 minutes before I knew, for sure, if he made it out or not. He did. And, the other young man was fine after a trip to the hospital.


This was the 8th year for the Catfish Fry at Riverpark, but it's the first time I'd heard about it and got a chance to go. The Cooleemee Historic Society contacted Eli and invited him and the family out for the event which featured catfish (of course) and also bluegrass music.


Eli is kind of shy, but he got up and accepted his award for being a hero, and he thanked the RiverPark crowd and told them that the catfish was great. It was too. The three Rons (Bivins, Shoaf and Web) can sure fry up some fish.


The family enjoyed the catfish and fixings as well as the bluegrass music. The band was really good, but I didn't catch the name of the group. Maybe someone will know and can add that in the comments.


I was very proud of Eli as you can see. I still get chills when I think about him going in the river that day in May. The Yadkin was raging with waves that looked like the ocean or fast whitewater and not a slow, sleepy river like usual. I've never seen it like that before or since, and I've been down at the Bull Hole off and on since high school.

The Bull Hole is absolutely beautiful and one of my favorite places. I'm glad it's a park now and that folks can enjoy it.

Pictures from Bull Hole at Cooleemee, North Carolina

The Happy Pants Dance, or that's what I'd call it. Kids have a great time at the Bull Hole in Cooleemee, North Carolina.


You put your right foot here. You put your . . . And, you make sure the footing is solid, or you really do fall in. I know, because I have taken many a dunk in the river there at the Bull Hole. It's all good though.


If you march to the beat of a different drummer, then the Bull Hole is just the spot for you. This is a great place to visit to get away from it all. You can bring a grill and cook out or just carry in snacks. It's all good at the Bull Hole.


These guys were telling me now to get over to the other side to see the other waterfalls, but I only made it half way. Those rocks are very slick, and I did not want to mess up my Canon Powershot which has been a really great little point and shoot camera.

One of the guys also told me that this place is called the Bull Hole, because a bull stepped in one of the deep water holes and broke his leg. The bull could not get out, and that's how the strange name came about. I don't know, but it sounded reasonable. If it was a made up story, it was interesting anyway.



New friend from Granite Quary checks out the Bull Hole for the first time and likes it. Yeah. Neat place. Definately not a tourist destination. And, that can be a good thing.

More photos at Facebook on my Bull Hole picture album.

Very Happy Mother's Day at the Bull Hole in Cooleemee, NC

My boys took me to the Bull Hole in Cooleemee, North Carolina today for Mother's Day. We didn't load up and carry the grill. After all, it's Mother's Day, and Mom grills a lot. So, grilling would not be a break and a special treat.

Instead, the guys got Bojangles chicken for a picnic. If you've never had Bojangles chicken, then you are missing out. While I can't tell you it's healthy, it's sure yummy Southern chicken and spicy.

My youngest son loves Bojangles so much that he set his GPS to show him the closest one when he's driving. No gas stations. No hospitals. Just Bojangles. We know his priorities.




The Bull Hole is a park in Cooleemee, NC. I think it was a dam used to power the mills back when Cooleemee was a mill town. I know, for sure, that it was a favorite hang out in the 70s for local teens. That probably (almost surely) was not legal. But, now they have turned it into a park.

The Bull Hole is still generally one of those off the beaten track places that not many people know about and visit. But, it sure is pretty, and it's fun. The atmosphere is rustic, to be sure, and you do not want to wear your nice clothes. It's the rare person who goes to the Bull Hole and doesn't fall in at some point.



The tailgate special at Bojangles is a good bet if you do not want to take the time to pack up the grill and prepare the food. The price is good too. Hit the drive through and be sure to ask for plates and sporks. And cups with ice for the great sweet tea. Then, you are all set.



I managed to cross over to the center at the Bull Hole without falling in. This may be a first. The bottom is really slick. We saw a lot of people who did wipe out including one girl who lost her cell phone. Leave valuables on the side before wading in the river. Otherwise, you may lose your stuff or get it wet.



We always meet new buddies at the Bull Hole. This is a Southern friendly kind of place.

For more photos, check out the Bull Hole Photo Album at Facebook.