“I think it’s ridiculous they don’t start serving ‘til 12:00,” said George Texas as he laughed and tossed a beanbag.

The attendee heard a radio advertisement on his way through Monroe and decided to take his family for an impromptu day of fun.

The advertisement was for Monroe’s third annual Bloody Mary Festival. Of the 45 vendors in attendance, eight restaurants and bars came to pit their unique bloody mary recipes against one another.

Adron Greenwood, a Waterfront Grill bartender, took up the challenge to try and create a better version of this complex cocktail. His preparation began all the way back in January.

“We infused it [vodka] with a ton of different vegetables and let it marinate for two weeks,” Greenwood said.

Waterfront Grill was one of the several restaurants and vendors invited to compete, according to Randee Jo Langley, coordinator of the RiverMarket.

The remaining slots were filled by various vendors and businesses.

Vendor Dana Allen, who applied for her spot, saw the Bloody Mary Festival as a chance to break back into RiverMarket vending events.

She was pleasantly surprised to see parents bringing their children along.

“It gives families something to do because there is nothing to do in Monroe. We need to have more events like this,” Allen said.

Langley was impressed by the fierce competition for the “People’s Choice” award.

“The closest entries were points away from each other— like one or two point’s apart,” Langley said.

A typical bloody mary contains vodka, tomato juice and a wide variety of seasonings including garlic, hot sauce and horseradish.

The festival was sponsored by Tito’s Handmade Vodka, and all the participants in the contest used Tito’s as the base for their bloody marys.

The Thirsty Goat Bar took home “Best Dressed Bloody Mary.” Waterfront Grill won “Most Creative.” Brass Monkey took home “Best Classic Bloody Mary.”

Ultimately, T & D’s Lakeshore Lounge won the “People’s Choice,” with Waterfront Grill trailing a close second.

Vendors sold everything from essential oils to artisanal honey at the annual event.