Festival Days barbecue set to cook again

People again have the chance to show off their cooking skills while helping a good cause during Festival Days, with the second Smokin’ Barbecue competition set to run Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Holiday Village Mall parking lot.

Organizer Kristi Burr said she is looking for people who would like to compete at the event to contact her about the rules and procedures, as well as people to come and taste to food and vote for their favorite.

Proceeds from the fundraiser this year will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line, members of which also will be selling water at the event this year.

“We had a great turnout last year,” Burr said. “We’re hoping to have a huge turnout this year.”

In the event, barbecue chefs prepare their food Saturday, with people going from selection to selection to try the food.

People can select their favorite by making a monetary vote, the total of which will go the Boys & Girls Club this year. The cook who gets the most votes — raises the most money for the club — wins the People’s Choice award at the competition.

The food also will be judged by a panel of judges, who will select the winners in each category by rating them on a scale for each category. The points for each cook in each category — which also includes points for votes in the People’s Choice vote — are added together to also select an overall grand champion and reserve champion for the competition.

Burr said prizes will be awarded in each category as well as for the champions and for the People’s Choice.

She said the fundraising side last year raised about $500 in two hours, and she hopes to raise at least half-again that this year.

A few changes in the competition have been made for 2013.

Burr said chicken has been added as a category, to go along with last year’s categories of pork, beef brisket and ribs, as well as the wild card category.

The wild card can be anything — Burr said the barbecuers could cook anything and turn it in.

“It could be sausage, appetizers, dessert, but it has to be done on their grill,” she said.

The grill also is a modified item — last year the cook had to barbecue their food over charcoal, but this year propane grills also are allowed.

The deadline for early registration is fast approaching. The entry fee is $50 through Friday, Sept. 13, and goes up to $75 after that.

Burr said people can call her for more information and to get the rules of the competition, which include the cooks bringing what they will cook to be inspected Friday, Sept. 20, at the mall parking lot from 3 to 7 p.m.

She said people can contact her at 399-1593 or at [email protected] for information about the competition.

People can register right through the end of the inspection Sept. 20, she said.

She said she wanted to start a new tradition with Festival Days, and she encouraged people to come and try the different selections. She said people have very different styles in barbecuing, especially people from different regions of the country.

The event was a hit in its first year in 2012, she added.

“The food went fast and everybody loved it,” Burr said.