National BBQ Cup Comes to Cumming Fairgrounds Next Weekend

Cumming Fairgrounds will soon be the site of one of the most delicious and best-smelling events of the year, with barbecue cooks from across the country competing for the National BBQ Cup.

The National BBQ Cup will feature over 200 professional and backyard barbecuing teams competing in several different barbecue categories. Professional teams can make their best barbecue brisket, chicken, pulled pork, and ribs. Backyard teams will compete in the ribs, pork, and chicken categories.

Event goers will sample the wares of as many teams as their stomachs can handle, and vote on their favorite team. The winning professional team will earn a $4,000 cash prize and a trophy, while the top backyard team wins $500 and a trophy. Cash prizes and trophies will also be awarded to the top six finishers in each category.

Other cash prizes and trophies will be awarded and include awards for the team with the best Brunswick stew and the team that traveled the furthest to get to Cumming.

The event will open at 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21 with a beer garden that will remain open until the gates close at 10 p.m. At 7 p.m., event goers will be treated to a people’s choice sampling of chicken wings and Brunswick stew. The sampling will end at 9 p.m.

The event resumes at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22 with the beer garden and raffle ticket sales. A sampling of barbecued pork will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. At 5 p.m., the raffle winners and BBQ Cup winners will be announced on stage. The event will close at 6 p.m.

Admission for the National BBQ Cup is $7 at the gate. For an extra $5, event goers can buy five tasting tickets and a vote ticket which will be used to help determine this year’s BBQ Cup winners. The tasting and vote tickets can be purchased at the red exhibition building inside the fairgrounds.

For more information on the National BBQ Cup, please contact (770) 886-6290 or e-mail BBQcup@hotmail.com.