The New York City Beard and Moustache Championship will be crowning the city's most bodacious beard in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on March 14.
In the past, it's been about rewarding the most beautiful facial hair, with a variety of categories for patchy beards, goatees, "Full Beard Freestyle" and mustaches. But this year there's an extra special buzz phrase catching the eyes and ears of the city's beardwatchers. It's called the "recession beard", that sudden growth of facial hair that occurs following one's recent job loss and sudden carefree lifestyle.
Or, as event organizer Matt BEARDZZZ Saccoman recently explained to the Brooklyn Paper, "the ‘Recession Beard’ is a salute to corporate America — it’s a way to show that you’ve been laid off, but you want to express your creativity through your beard."
The Philadelphia Inquirer recently noted that there's an attitude behind the beard, which "might even be a necessary step in recovery from hard-lost work." The NYCBM Championship will be held on March 14 at Williamsburg's Public Assembly (70 North Sixth St.), starting at 8 p.m. Tickets will set hairy enthusiasts back $15 in advance and $20 at the door.
