The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
BBQ Festival seeks vebdors for late August competition
Pros can win $10,000 in prizes; amateurs pay $150 to be vendors.
If you think your Q is A-plus, then make sure you’ve cleared your calendar for Aug. 24-25.
Folks whose shirts often smell like meat smoke can now apply to become a vendor at the Pigs and Peaches BBQ Festival in Kennesaw that weekend.
The event is scheduled for Adams Park, 2753 Watts Drive. The city said last year it expected more than 65,000 people to show up.
The highest level of competition is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society, which runs many of the country’s largest competitions. That professional category will give out a total of $10,000 in prizes.
But for the amateurs willing to brave the August heat in Georgia while standing by a smoker, there’s a “Backyard BBQ” contest with a $150 entry fee.
The pros and the amateurs will be judged on four proteins: chicken, brisket, pork ribs and pork butt.
There will be “ancillary contests” like the peach dessert contest and the “Anything Butt” contest.
In the latter, “cook teams may add any ingredient(s) to create the most delicious of dishes, such as a stew, soup, main course or side dish.”
The top prize in both of those contests is $200.
And for the wee smokers, there’s the “Kids’ Que Cookoff ” event, which carries a $35 entrance fee. Winners get a $50 Whole Foods Market gift card and a portable grill.
The contest is for children ages 7 to 15 and consists of two parts (both of which require an adult): A three-hour workshop on July 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., focusing on nutrition, food preparation and cooking techniques; followed by the actual cook-off on the festival’s first day using a grill, charcoal and ground turkey.
There will be 200 vendors and exhibitors at theevent, with everything from sellers of pink-ringedmeat and barbecue cookware to tables for nonprofit groups. For children, there’ll be a family-friendly playground of inflatable jumping equipment and other games.