Castle Bridge honors stockyards, fire department with event

Apr. 16—The Castle Bridge Event Center held its first annual 'Stockyards Appreciation Day' event in honor of the St. Joseph stockyards and St. Joseph Fire Department.

From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Castle Bridge treated visitors to a BBQ and Oyster Fry, live music and drinks.

Castle Bridge General Manager Kevin Carver and Sales and Marketing Director Rayna Vogan said they wished to honor area stockyards due to their rich history and role in the foundation of St. Joseph.

"So, we decided to have something in honor of the stockyards and all the employees and the patrons who have used the stockyards over the years. The stockyards actually they built St Joe," Carver said. "They put St. Joe on the map, and we wanted to appreciate them, do something for them every year. This is our first annual event."

"We also welcome the St. Joe Fire Departments to come in and just check it out as well," Vogan said.

Carver elaborated on how the group started the event and some of its features.

"We've been wanting to do something for a long time, and a gentleman by the name of Steve Whitaker said, 'hey, we should put this thing in motion,' so we're doing that," Carver said. "So, we're having a Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry, we're doing a lot of other things too. Anything that complements the beef industry."

While the event is over, Castle Bridge fully intends for the 'Stockyards Appreciation Day' to return for years to come.

Daniel Slaybaugh can be reached at daniel.slaybaugh@newspressnow.com.