It’s that time of year again. There’s a nip in the air and come Friday night, there will also be the aroma of roasting pork wafting across the Washington waterfront. Smoke on the Water is a time-honored tradition in Washington and a tribute to eastern North Carolina barbecue.

Saturday’s festival has become a mecca for barbecue fans as some of the best pig cookers in the state will vie for the state championship. The chili contest is an opportunity for amateur chefs to wow the judges with their spicy fare. These culinary draws will be punctuated with live music and entertainment for the young visitors.

Starting Friday night and reaching into Saturday afternoon, it will be all pigs, all the time for anyone venturing to the waterfront. Take a closer look, however, and what becomes apparent is that Smoke on the Water is more than what it seems.

Washington (noon) Rotary runs the festival, and its members donate countless hours of work to put it together — from putting Smoke on the Water signs out across town and bringing in sponsors to processing the barbecue for sale and assembling pints and sandwiches for sale to the public. Then for the rest of the year, long after the succulent scent of barbecue fades from the air, photos of Washington (noon) Rotarians handing a check over to local organizations can be found in any given issue of the Washington Daily News. Eagle’s Wings, Ruth’s House, Washington Harbor District Alliance, Boys & Girls Club, Zion Shelter and Kitchen, United Way, The Blind Center of North Carolina and so many more are all beneficiaries of Smoke on the Water, by way of Washington (noon) Rotary.

By showing up on Saturday to buy a pint of barbecue or chili a person is helping Rotary’s cause to help others. It’s actually a gift that keeps on giving to those, right here, in need.