Whole smoked brisket
Small
$135
- Selected size
- about 10 lb before smoking
- Expected yield
- typically 5–6 lb finished
- At the table
- serves roughly 12–16
A family supper with enough left for tomorrow’s sandwich.
Johnson City Lodge No. 561 · Annual BBQ Fundraiser
Lights Spectacular Pickup · November 27 & 28, 2026
Smoke. Bark.No shortcuts.
Reserve a whole Hill Country brisket, smoked low and slow by the brethren of 561. Pick it up on the town square on the opening weekend of Johnson City’s Lights Spectacular—or arrange another handoff by prior agreement. Not ordering a whole one? Come find us both nights; we are selling barbecue straight off the pit on the square.
Whole presaleFrom $135
Pickup weekendNov. 27 & 28
Evers 561 sauce$10/jar
Every brisket sold supports the work of Johnson City Lodge No. 561.
Presale guarantees your brisket · Barbecue off the pit both nights
Pick your brisket
Three sizes. One properly tended fire.
The size names describe the brisket’s approximate weight before trimming and smoking. Brisket naturally loses moisture and fat during a long cook, so the finished brisket will weigh less.
Most popular
Whole smoked brisket
Medium
$165
- Selected size
- about 12 lb before smoking
- Expected yield
- typically 6½–7½ lb finished
- At the table
- serves roughly 16–22
The crowd-pleaser for a gathering, tailgate, or hungry extended family.
Whole smoked brisket
Large
$210
- Selected size
- about 15 lb before smoking
- Expected yield
- typically 8–9½ lb finished
- At the table
- serves roughly 22–28
For the big table—and the sort of leftovers people guard carefully.
What the price means
Whole-brisket presale totals are based on expected finished smoked yield at approximately $25 per cooked pound, then rounded into a simple checkout price. We are not charging you for raw weight. The listed presale price is final—there is no reweighing, price adjustment, or balance due at pickup. Actual finished weight varies from brisket to brisket because honest barbecue declines to behave like factory equipment.
The 561 cook
The night is long. The brisket is worth it.
Good brisket takes time, smoke, judgment, and someone willing to keep an eye on the pit while sensible people are asleep. We handle that part.
Your whole brisket is cooked, rested, and prepared for pickup. Keep it whole for the best moisture retention, then slice across the grain when you are ready to serve.
$10 a jar
Bring home the bottle
Evers 561 BBQ Sauce
The lodge sauce, dressed for the occasion in a mason jar and a label that knows exactly where it came from.
Add one or more jars to your Zeffy order for $10 each. It travels well with a brisket and has been known to disappear before the leftovers do.
From our pit to your table
Pickup without the scavenger hunt.
Collect your brisket at the Lodge booth during Lights Spectacular, or arrange another handoff with us ahead of time. We will use the email and mobile number on the order to confirm it.
Two million lights, a walkable town square, and a brisket already resting in the cooler with your name on it. Collect it on your way in, and let supper take care of itself.
- 01
Reserve in Zeffy
Select a Small, Medium, or Large whole brisket, add any $10 sauce jars, and enter the best phone and email for pickup updates.
- 02
Choose the handoff
Choose pickup at the Lodge booth on the Johnson City town square on Friday, November 27 or Saturday, November 28 during Lights Spectacular, or arrange another handoff by prior agreement with at least 48 hours’ notice.
- 03
Watch for confirmation
Pick up at the Lodge booth at Lights Spectacular—the Lodge sends the exact booth location and hours by text and email before the weekend. Prefer a different handoff? Arrange it ahead of time by email or with any member; it is not scheduled until the Lodge confirms the place and time.
Pickup weekend
Friday & Saturday, November 27 & 28, 2026
Opening weekend of Lights Spectacular on the Johnson City town square.
Opening weekend · Lights Spectacular
Follow the smoke.
On the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, Johnson City lights the courthouse square and about two million lights come on around it. The brethren of 561 will be out there with the pit, a fire going, and barbecue sold straight off it. You are welcome to navigate by the map below, but most people find us the older way—downwind.
When
Friday, November 27 & Saturday, November 28, 2026
Opening weekend of Lights Spectacular. The lights come on around dusk and burn until midnight; the square is busiest in the first few hours after dark. The Lodge posts booth hours by text and email to everyone holding a presale order.
Where
The town square, Johnson City
The Lodge booth sits on the square by the Blanco County Courthouse at 101 East Pecan Drive. Lights Spectacular itself spreads from the courthouse down Main Street to Memorial Park and out to the Pedernales Electric Cooperative oaks. Walking the whole thing is the point.
What we are doing there
Selling off the pit. Handing over briskets.
Barbecue is sold straight off the pit both evenings—walk up, no reservation, until we run out. Whole presale briskets are handed over at the same spot. Attending the lights is free; what you spend with us goes to the work of the Lodge.
Lights Spectacular is put on by the community, not by the Lodge. Times and the full season schedule are published by the organizers.
Official event schedule →
Limited by the size of the pit
Reserve yours before somebody else develops excellent judgment.
Reserving is the only way to guarantee a brisket, and quantities are limited—when the pit is spoken for, the presale closes. We are also selling barbecue straight off the pit on the square both nights of opening weekend, no reservation required, until it is gone. Reserve if you want it certain; come hungry either way.
Payments are processed securely by Zeffy. Johnson City Lodge No. 561 does not store your card information. Questions about an order? Call (210) 901-8339.
Before you order
Straight answers.
Why does a 12-pound brisket finish lighter?
Trimming removes excess fat before the cook, and hours of smoking render more fat and moisture. That is normal. Our size labels help us select the right raw brisket; your presale price is based on expected finished yield, not the raw starting weight. The checkout price is final and will not change at pickup.
Can I pick up before that weekend?
Yes, by prior agreement. Request it in the Zeffy form with at least 48 hours’ notice, or arrange it by email or with any member of the Lodge. Either way, the Lodge must confirm the time and location before the request is considered scheduled.
Will it be sliced?
Whole-brisket orders are provided whole unless the Lodge confirms otherwise. Keeping it whole helps retain moisture. Slice across the grain shortly before serving.
Can I buy brisket without reserving a whole one?
Yes. We are selling barbecue straight off the pit at the square on both nights of opening weekend—walk up, no reservation, until it runs out. Reserving a whole brisket ahead is simply the only way to guarantee one is waiting for you.
Why does Zeffy show an optional contribution?
Zeffy does not charge the Lodge a platform fee, so its checkout suggests an optional contribution to support Zeffy. That contribution is not part of your brisket or sauce price. You may change it—including setting it to $0—before payment. Your published order prices remain fixed.
Where does the money go?
Proceeds support the charitable, educational, community, and lodge work of Johnson City Lodge No. 561.