The World's Longest Barbeque goes down on August 1st. Thousands of Canadians will be taking part and raising their forks to toast regional fare in backyards across the country, as friends and family gather to cook up meals made from local ingredients.

I found out about the event through Foodland Ontario's twitter feed. After digging around a bit I found out the World's Longest Barbeque is organized and founded by Anita Stewart (author, food activist, and lover of Canadian cuisine), and it's a chance for Canadians to celebrate and show support for their local farmers, fishers, brew masters and vintners.

When I caught up with Anita and asked her about the event, she explained it like this: "This weekend is the time when there are weddings and reunions, camping trips and beach barbecues, sailing adventures and just kicking back on the home deck - and in all these scenarios there's food. So that's my premise... that, in fact, Canada's already doing a national food day. It's just up to us to recognize it and invite others to join the party."

There are no rules, and no set menu. To participate all you need to do is create a locally inspired menu, post it online on the Food Day Canada website, grab some friends and family, then cook it up along with thousands of fellow Canadians on the evening of Saturday, August 1st. You can also check out what fellow Canadians are barbequing as they post their menus on the Food Day Canada website.

From fruits to veggies, breads, meats, wines and beers - you can get everything you need for an amazing meal right here in Ontario (where I hear good things grow). Anita's aim is to make The World's Longest Barbeque the biggest food event in Canadian History, so take it as a great excuse to kick back and enjoy a good meal featuring Ontario's finest local fare.

Photo by bending light from blogTO's Flickr pool.