RVBBQTrail kicked off the 2020 BBQ season in grand fashion by attending the 24th Annual Lake Pigfest in Lakeland, Florida! BBQ’ing in the Sunshine State is bright and sunny, with over 102 Professional and Backyard teams competing for bragging rights and a share of $25,000 prize money.
Pigfest is held at the Sun & Fun Expo Center adjacent to the Lakeland airport. Included is an impressive museum of flight, including military and experimental planes that you can get up close to and touch… very impressive! This is a massive community event with all proceeds going to local Lakeland charities. Hats off to the organizers for pulling off a terrifically executed event. Judges were in hangers with cook teams and entertainment nearby.
Congrats to Grand Champion Smoke Central BBQ with a 700.5 score earning a coveted 700 pin! Reserve Grand Champion went to Old Virginia Smoke with a 695.4 score. Special recognition to Bushmaster BBQ with a perfect 180 on Beef Brisket.
Sunshine, warm weather, world-class BBQ, excellent entertainment, and a museum of flight make attending Lakeland Pigfest worth putting on your BBQ bucket list for next year’s 25 Silver Anniversary event!
Unfortunately, we were not able to stay for the Award Ceremony to take pictures. It was later in the day and we needed to get back to our campsite (40 minutes away) to take care of our dogs. Apologies to Grand Champion Smoke Central BBQ for not having pictures of them.
The Ribberfest BBQ & Blues, which takes place in Madison, IN on the banks of the Ohio River, has it all! We arrived Thursday for the BBQ Sunset Cruise on the Ohio River with cook teams, organizers, and judges for a light Dinner, beverages, and live music. Friday through Sunday the Queen City Clipper, out of Cincinnati, is available for the general public to enjoy a cruise.
Queen City Riverboat, Clipper
The BBQ teams set up along the Ohio River for a never dull view of life on the river. The teams are very welcoming to anyone walking the venue to take in the ambiance of a bbq competition. Friday evening several cook teams took part in a “pitch in” dinner, complete with all the fixings.
Saturday 54 teams vied for top honors. Grand Champion went to The American Dream BBQ Team from Oklahoma with a 701.7 score and 1st place in pork. Reserve Grand Champion went to Grey Street BBQ with a 699.4. Smoke Freaks BBQ took first place in pork ribs and was the third overall team.
Ribberfest Grand Champion The American Dream BBQ Team
In addition to the regular categories in the BBQ competition, Ribberfest includes Anything Butt and Dessert categories. Butts-n-Racks BBQ took 1st in Anything Butt with a 180 score. The Dessert category had a 5-way tie with Red Hot Butcher Shop, Charcoal & More, Squealers Award Winning Barbeque, Meat Misters, and WEQ4U all scoring 180! The Gattopuin, an award for the team that exhibits the best hospitality, friendliness, humor, and love of BBQ is voted on by an unknown panel of judges. This year’s honoree was Smoke Freaks for the second year in a row!
But wait there’s more! In addition to the Shade Tree BBQ Competition (backyard/amateur), there are lots of other things to see and do; a 5K Ribberrun & Bike Ride, KidsQue, Pigmania (concrete pig painting contest),
Pigmania
Piglet Pen (inflatables and games for the kids), and Pig Toss (Cornhole Tournament). This event also hosts one of the top Blue Festivals in the region. We enjoyed two days of fantastic blues with some of the top names in the business. This year’s headliners were Walter Trout and Ronnie Baker Brooks. Previous year headliners have been Los Lobos, The Taj Mahal Trio, Keb’ Mo’ and Buddy Guy.
Madison, IN, is named a Stellar Community Designee and includes one of the largest Historic Landmark Districts in the US. Stellar communities actively work on community and economic projects and events to improve the quality of life in their city. The organizers of Ribberfest indeed demonstrated their love of Madison the way they went out of their way to engage local volunteers and support both cook teams and judges alike.
Always fun to be had at the competitions
Whoo-hoo, get me to the turn-in station on time!
Madison volunteers shuttle teams to the turn-in station with golf carts!
Thank you, Madison, for another fun and successful competition. We also want to thank the Smoke Freaks for inducting RVBBQTrail into the Lucky Lighter League; we’re true believers!
Madison volunteers shuttle teams to the turn-in station with golf carts!
Whoo-hoo, get me to the turn-in station on time!
Yes, another category entry heading to the judges!
Ribberfest volunteers
Jim Beam BBQ Team sampling their bourbon collection.
Smoke Freaks cook set-up
Ribberfest Awardsl
This awesome trophy went to The American Dream BBQ for Grand Champion
Ribberfest 2018 Grand Champion The American Dream BBQ
Ribberfest 2018Grand Champion The American Dream BBQ Team
Reserve Grand Champion 2018 went to Grey Street BBQ
2018 Reserve Grand Champion Grey Street BBQ
Blue Chip BBQ, 1st place chicken
The American Dream BBQ, 1st place pork
Smoke Freaks BBQ, 1st place pork ribs
Smokin’ Hookers BAR-B-Q, 1st place brisket
The last name of this husband and wife team is Hooker!
Butts-N-Racks, 1st in Anything Butt
Local Madison, IN, bbq team Butts-N-Racks, 1st place Anything Butt
Anything Butt went to Butts-N-Racks BBQ
Red Hog Butcher Shop BBQ Team, 1st place in the Dessert category
Smoke Freaks BBQ and friends accepting The Gattopuin Award for the team that exhibits friendliness, support of other teams, and fun of the BBQ Community.
Kid’s Q winner
Kid’s Q winner
Brisket ready to slice
Teams wrap their ribs in aluminum foil
Lots of foil used in the competition @reynoldskitchens
Teams taste their ribs to choose the best rack slice for the judges
