Sunday, November 15, 2026
Judges Mike and Daniela Calciano during the judging portion of Spammy Jammy 24.
Ava Cook took third place for Presidential Debate—What a Spam Show.
Judging is a job that is taken seriously at Spammy Jammy. With 24 entries, one judge said, “I can’t eat everything!"
Stumpy Jo sits while Raiford Starke stands to deliver a rollicking version of Eric Clapton’s Lay Down Sally. Next to Starke is Stumpy Jo’s washtub “ol" Farney.
Pete L’Allier makes an unabashed attempt to bribe judges Diane Fowler and Nancy Titus during the Spam contest. His effort was unsuccessful as his entry was not picked as a winner.
Spamala Anderson was a creative Spam entry.
Little Bar co-owner Niki Bauer dressed as the leader of the band…a role she plays in real life.
Little Bar co-owner Ray Bozicnik helps keep the Little Bar quirky.
Longtime judge Larry Purvis enjoying the food.
Spam on the Half Shell was created by Miss Fortune.
Judges Mary Miller and Nancy Titus sample the Spam recipes.
Rose Kriberscheck adjusts her “I love Spam” button.
Judges Jack Miller and Mike Barbush take their jobs very seriously.
This reveler found a creative way to show her love for Spam.
Sherri Morrison took third place for her Spamalusa Ceremonial Mask. Yes, it is made of Spam!
The judges are the stars of the show at Spammy Jammy. According to Little Bar co-owner Niki Bauer, there are four qualifications for being a judge: 1) Do you eat Spam? 2) Or should I say will you eat Spam? 3) Do you like to party? 4) Are you willing to be bribed? This year’s judges are Nancy Titus, Diane Fowler, Larry Purvis, Mike and Daniela Calciano, Mike Barbush, Jack and Mary Miller, and Tara O’Neill.
Jim and Sherri Morrison model their Spammy Jammy 2024 t-shirts.
Proud grandpa John with Wesley and Aubreigh Johnson, first place winners in the art category for Spam Bob Spam Pants.
Stumpy Jo was popular with the Spammy Jammy crowd.
“Duke” had a creative t-shirt for Spammy Jammy 2024.
A judge’s hat for Spammy Jammy 2024.
John Wilt visits with Little Bar co-owner Ray Bozicnik and wife Amy.
The toilet paper unrolling contest is always a raucous event.
Matt Jones and Dora Shea had a great time at Spammy Jammy 2024.
High school and college friends helped Amber Oppliger celebrate her birthday at Spammy Jammy 2024: Arianna Cicchella, Natalie Bauman, Gabby Sumner, Amber Oppliger, Hannah Fischer, Camille Strackbein, Ainsley Strackbein, and Mary Belfore.
A happy winner in the toilet paper unrolling contest
Little Bar manager Jamie Bozicnik as Super Mario.
Things are always a little quirky at The Little Bar - that’s part of its enduring charm. So, when the lights went out at 6:08 during Spammy Jammy 2024, it’s not surprising that a female patron shouted, “It’s a Spamout!” The accompanying flash flood advisory also did little to dampen the spirits of the revelers, who packed the place to help co-owners (and sister and brother) Niki Bauer and Ray Bozicnik celebrate the Goodland landmark’s 45th anniversary on Saturday, June 29.
“It was a hurricane of happiness,” said Bauer, “a tsunami of celebration, a flash flood of furious fun and frivolity.” But Bauer was still a bit concerned when the lights went out. “The first time I thought, ‘Here we go—summertime.’ I prayed at the second outage. Thank goodness we did not see strike three. Strike three is usually ‘out goes the lights for the night.’"
Spammy Jammy is the Little Bar’s annual celebration to ward off hurricanes. Revelers show up in their finest pajamas and robes. And in keeping with this year’s t-shirt slogan, “Strike up the Spam," Bauer was dressed up as the lead of the band, complete with a baton in hand and a glittery red hat on her head.
It’s hard to say what led to such a large crowd at this year’s Spammy Jammy, but everyone was buzzing about it.
“I have never been so happy as I was at the 2024 Spammy Jammy,” said Mike Barbush, longtime president of the Goodland Civic Association and also a Spammy Jammy judge. “And I’ve been living on Goodland for 45 years. I love Niki and the Little Bar."
“The Little Bar was bursting with music and fun,” Bauer said. Bauer is responsible for booking musical acts for the Little Bar throughout the year. She brought in some enduring favorites Saturday night: Merrill Allen, Raiford Starke, and Stumpy Jo and Farney (Farney is Stumpy Jo’s wash bucket).
“The music was rollicking, the spam-inspired creativity was outrageous - it’s everything you expect from Little Bar Restaurant’s seasonal closing extravaganza,” said Tara O’Neill, a judge for the Spammy Jammy contest.
This year’s Spam-inspired art and food contest drew 24 entries. The judges were hard-pressed to name three winners in each category. They actually had a third-place tie in the art category between Ava Cook’s Presidential Debate—What a Spam Show and Sherri Morrison’s Spamalusa Ceremonial Mask.
“The creativity was over the top,” Bauer said of the Spam entries. “The edible food was absolutely delicious."
Spammy Jammy marks the end of the season for the Little Bar. They will reopen on October 15 - which coincides with the beginning of stone crab season. Bauer could not have been more delighted to put a bow on the Little Bar’s 45 anniversary.
“Spammy Jammy 2024 was a masterpiece,” she gushed, “I could not be happier."
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