BBQ Festivals

I posted a comment on the Family Feud thread about the festival...But since this is the real thread for this topic I will do it here also.
We had a great day Friday at the Henderson Festival. Each year we say that, but this time the weather was outstanding..in the upper 70's, dry and sunny! We enjoyed hearing several groups ( and some not so good also) playing while the riverboats cruised by on the Ohio River beside the park. We even watched the Festival King be interviewed for the local TV news.



During the afternoon we got a bit hungry so we checked out the vending area beside the park... all the usual Fair Food available as well as several local BBQ stores having stands there too. Jan stuck to the standard Funnel Cake and Iced Coffee beverage while hit the Thomason's BBQ ( a local Henderson Restaurant) for a rack of pork Ribs. Expecting some ribs that were sent over from the restaurant, I was pleasantly suprised when the fellow grabbed a nice rack off of the smoker he had set up behind the stand and cut them up for me. These were not pre-boiled soaked in gooey sauce Tony Roma's Ribs...These were GREAT. Spiced just right with no drippy-sauce to take away the great pork Flavor. Just enough chew to let you know they were "from Scratch" These were Ribs to drive miles for.



To set in your mind what they did to me... We had planned all day to head for the Moonlite BBQ after the festival visit to enjoy our usual Buffet BBQ night. NOT this time. After those Ribs I just wanted to cruise on home with the taste of Great BBQ in my mouth!
It was a good day.

Lisa,
It's a little late notice, but starting today and carring through this Sunday, Cedar Rapids, Ia sponsers a BBQ contest in which 9 BBQ vendors from the country compete for best ribs, sauce, and pulled pork.
Competitors this year include Butch's BBQ, Chicago BBQ Co, Famous Daves, Johnson's BBQ, Mojo's Rib Shack, Pigfoot BBQ, Porky and Beans, and Texas Thunder.
Despite being part of chain of midwest BBQ, my personal favorite is Famous Daves.

Check it out, if not this year maybe next.

Hey Retired...
This weekend is the BBQ and Brew fest at Churchill Downs here in Louisville. Rock n Roll concerts between races on Saturday and Country Music same way on Sunday...With BBQ available from a number of local BBQ Joints, including the chain places. Famous Dave's will be participating as will Tony Roma's and locals like the Bootleg, Mark's Feed Stores, and most of all the Moonlite BBQ .
We're not sure if we will get to the track for this event...but I would like to try on Sunday! Can't beat Country Music , BBQ and some fine horse racing!!

Today (July 28th) we ordered our wristband admission tickets and food coupons for the Madison Indiana RIBBERFEST coming along on Auguest 19-20th. If you buy your admit bands by August 1st they give you $10 in coupons good at the food vendors booths during the blues concerts and the cook-off.
$20 for the two night admissions and the $10.00 worth of coupons. This includes the two nites of Blues music -bring your own lawnchairs-

I enjoy this cook-off because in addition to the big-timers major competition, they also sponsor a cook-off for the 'little-guy'. In that competition samples of the 'Que are readily available each evening and there is a lot less formality to the cooking, story-telling and sample sharing. it is a fun place to talk BBQ with folks who like it as much as we do.

The concerts are open-air, on the banks of the Ohio River. The vendor food is usually quite good. We especially like the roasting ears dipped in butter! All in All this is a fun weekend, worth the drive ! let me know if you plan to head to Madison, it would be fun to have other roadfooders to chat with those evenings.
AL

Here's their web-site--
[url]www.madisonribberfest.com[/url]

Al, the Ribberfest sounds like a blast. I went to their web site and they did not mention any food vendors or maybe I missed it.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Paul, There will be 20-25 food vendor concession stands on the waterfront street outside the concert park. The coupons are tickets one uses in place of cash at the vendors.
I reread my post and guess that I wasn't to clear in my wording about the coupons. 2 Day admission to the park which includes the cook-off competition (watching it) the concerts, and any sampling that gets done in the 'small-timers' BBQ area. If you buy your admission ticket on or before Aug.1 they will give you $10 worth of the food tickets also, included in ur admission fee. If you buy admission at the 'door' or anytime after Aug 1 you still get in for $20, but no food tickets are included.
We really enjoyed the freebie sampling of BBQ's stuff last year. The music was ok and the evening by the river with butter dripping everywhere from our ears of corn was outstanding!

Al, your post was very clear. I guess I just skipped over it.

Best I recall, there is a bridge over the river in Madison??? I have been through Madison before but it has been years.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

For those of you in WC/SW Ohio or EC/SE Indiana or northern Ky area's that like BBQ pork chops - The Preble County Pork Festival in Eaton Ohio is coming up next month and well worth a road trip. Yummy pork chops and homemade sausage and all the fixens. They have an "all you can eat smorgasborg" or a cafeteria style "Buy it by the item" serving area's. Only bad thing are the huge crowds and long waiting lines.

http://www.porkfestival.org/

The best BBQ comes from from "The BBQ Capital of the World", Owensboro Kentucky. This small town holds its International BBQ Festival every year, in the second week of May. This event brings over 80,000 people world wide to come and enjoy the best of BBQ. If you can't make it to the festival and you are in town, come to Moonlite BBQ Inn (where I work) for some BBQ you'll never forget.

You just missed this ... http://www.scarboroughribfest.com/

Canada's largest Ribfest is Labour Day Weekend .. http://www.clubrunner.ca/CPrg/DxProgramHome/programhome.aspx?cid=145&pid=2066

Another good time is the BIG PIG JIG® in Vienna, Georgia.
September 30 - October 1, 2005

http://www.bigpigjig.com/index.htm

Let me put in a plug for the Blue Ridge BBQ Festival:
http://www.blueridgebbqfestival.com/

It is both a festival, with vendors, and a cookoff. There's also music, crafts, etc. to occupy your time while you're eating. Typically there are 80+ teams competing.

quote:

Originally posted by Dsorgnzd

Let me put in a plug for the Blue Ridge BBQ Festival:
http://www.blueridgebbqfestival.com/

It is both a festival, with vendors, and a cookoff. There's also music, crafts, etc. to occupy your time while you're eating. Typically there are 80+ teams competing.

It is a great contest and festival. Our team cooked there with 82 teams on hand. We came in 13th overall and took first place on chicken. The first place helped pay the bills!

John

My team and I will also be cooking at a new contest this year in Birmingham, AL on Aug. 25-26. Here is the website for it: http://stokin.slossfurnaces.com/

If you are there and stop by after 2 PM on Sat. afternoon, there should be a few samples left over for friends.

John

Sorry, forgot to give you the team name. It is FireHouseBBQ.

John

quote:

Originally posted by RibDog

quote:

Originally posted by Dsorgnzd

Let me put in a plug for the Blue Ridge BBQ Festival:
http://www.blueridgebbqfestival.com/

It is both a festival, with vendors, and a cookoff. There's also music, crafts, etc. to occupy your time while you're eating. Typically there are 80+ teams competing.

It is a great contest and festival. Our team cooked there with 82 teams on hand. We came in 13th overall and took first place on chicken. The first place helped pay the bills!

John

Well that didn't work... what I was trying to say was, "John, thanks again for the 3 racks of ribs you gave me as I was on my way home from Tryon. They were thoroughly enjoyed!"

quote:

Originally posted by Dsorgnzd

Well that didn't work... what I was trying to say was, "John, thanks again for the 3 racks of ribs you gave me as I was on my way home from Tryon. They were thoroughly enjoyed!"

Too bad you weren't in Dillard GA last weekend. We got first place with our ribs there! But glad you enjoyed the ones from Tryon.

John

Ribdog: Congratulations on your first place for ribs - I know you deserve to win, your pulled pork last January was super...

BTW: We are having a BBQ festival and contest right here in New Paltz next weekend, August 18-20. It is new so i dont know much about it, but I hope some of you Dixie types will be here next year if it repeats. It is a sanctioned competition by NEBBQ.

Thanks and cheers, John

Thanks John. Unfortunately, the price of gas is causing to cut back on our long distance road trips to contests. You just can't make ends meet these days. It will be interesting to watch what happens to some of the contests with this situation.

Have fun in New Paltz.

John

I agree about the gas costs cutting into the 'fun roadtrips'. We have tickets for both Friday and Saturday's Madison RibberFest/Concert nites. I am sure we are going on Friday, but we we may say enough, rather than do the 100+ mile rountrip a second time the next day. Weather and Costs are the deciding variables in the weekend fun!
I did fill up yesterday in Louisville for $2.39 a gallon, best price I've seen in the area.
RibDog, Do you do Mail Order?

9/22/2005 - 9/24/2005

Barbecue on the River & Old Market Days

September 22 - 24, 2005 Paducah's 11th Ever Barbecue on the River & Old Market Days 9th Ever Media Cook-Off Regional media personalities compete to become the 2005 Grand Champions in the Media Cook-Off Tournament.

azwethink, I know Moonlite has the name recognition and a solid following, but for my money, Old Hickory is hands down the best BBQ in the considerable collection of great BBQ in Owensboro - best que in the country!

quote:

Originally posted by Al-The Mayor-Bowen


I agree about the gas costs cutting into the 'fun roadtrips'. We have tickets for both Friday and Saturday's Madison RibberFest/Concert nites. I am sure we are going on Friday, but we we may say enough, rather than do the 100+ mile rountrip a second time the next day. Weather and Costs are the deciding variables in the weekend fun!
I did fill up yesterday in Louisville for $2.39 a gallon, best price I've seen in the area.
RibDog, Do you do Mail Order?

If I did that, I would have to start working for a living. LOL.

No, I do not. If I ever come your way, I will get in touch with you and let you know. Where are you located again?

Rib Doggie,
We are about 15 miles west of Louisville, Just off I-64 in Southern Indiana. Y'all and your bones are welcome anytime!!

Got you covered next time I am up that way. I will be in Lynchburg again for Jack Daniels Invitational in case you are coming down.

About 12 hours till we load up and leave for the ride up to the Madison (Indiana) RIBBERFEST. It will be hot- mid 90's- but there are a lot of trees in the area, so shade is available and we have our cooler and lawn chairs ready. Time for some good food and twangy music!

quote:

Originally posted by Al-The Mayor-Bowen



About 12 hours till we load up and leave for the ride up to the Madison (Indiana) RIBBERFEST. It will be hot- mid 90's- but there are a lot of trees in the area, so shade is available and we have our cooler and lawn chairs ready. Time for some good food and twangy music!

Enjoy!!! Eat some que for me! Have a great time Mr Mayor--and Janette too!

Trip report- Madison Ribberfest, August 19th.
Madison is about an hour up river from our home and despite being Northeast of us, It falls victim to the Indiana Time Zone thing, so it is an hour behind us (EST), or Slow Time as it is called here. (We are on 'Fast Time or EDT or Louisville Time...or daylite!)
Anyway we did the nice rural drive up to Madison yesterday. The RibberFest is a 2 day Blues and BBQ festival that is growing rapidly each year. This year the weather was Hot and Humid! That didn't seem to keep the people away!
The actual BBQ competition is one of the better ones I have attended. In addition to the usual venders row, and the competition area for those on the Pro-Circuit, there is a parking lot measured off for the "Backyard BBQ Competition" That is a scaled down version of the major competitors game. For a $20 entry fee almost anyone can enter to win trophies, bragging rights, and smaller cash prizes. The best part of the Backyard Competition is that the groups involved can and DO hand out samples of their entries to the public.

Here are the "Little Folks" at work in the Backyard Competition area-

We enjoyed the walk around of that area munching on samples of brisket, chicken, pulled pork and even individual ribs! The cooking crews really went out of their way to give out Samples!


Thinking of BT, we also scarfed up a fresh Funnel Cake (Plain--They had Chocolate covered, and fruit topped also)


Then we set up the lawn chairs in the shade and enjoyed an evening of Blues under a full moon!

This turned out to be a warm but pleasant day, with more BBQ than I had counted on...the venders didn't make money on us, 'cept for the Funnel Cake and some ice Cream later in the evening. I figure (at vender prices) we ate about $25 dollars worth of samples !!

Kinda late but this weekend is the Hudson Valley RibFest, in Ulster Co. NY.

http://hudsonvalleyribfest.org/

Only $5

I just found out and I'm on my way.......