Have you heard about the Western North Carolina BBQ Festival? Are you curious about the major attractions of this festival? If you’re a BBQ lover, then mark your calendar for July 22nd and 23rd and plan to attend the Western North Carolina BBQ Festival! This two-day festival will be held in Maggie Valley, NC. Come and enjoy the mouth watering BBQ, authentic arts and crafts fair, live entertainment programs, kid zone with a bouncy house, face painting, entertainment robot, yard games, and chainsaw art demonstrations.
Maggie Valley is popular for hosting different events throughout the year. It hosts festivals, shows, rallies, and concerts for different occasions. Many motorcyclist and event enthusiastic come to this place every year to be a part of its unique culture and to enjoy the picturesque mountain setting and the great outdoors! The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway draw thousands of visitors to the the Maggie Valley area each year. Annual events like the Western North Carolina BBQ Festival make your visit even more enjoyable!
This year’s Western North Carolina BBQ Festival will be held at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds, less than ½ mile from Creekside Lodge! On Opening Day, (Friday July 22nd) it will begin at 12:00 noon and will continue until 9 pm. On Saturday July 23rd, the festivities will start at 10 am and continue until 8 pm.
The festival is sanctioned by the world’s largest organization of barbecue and grilling enthusiasts, Kansas City Barbeque Society. The main attraction of this festival will be the competition cookoff of pork ribs, chicken, and beef brisket. A popular spot and crowd favorite is the Tasting Tent, where attendees can purchase $10 tickets to taste the various barbecue samples of the competing teams. And they can vote for their favorite flavor as well. The winning team will receive the Maggie’s best trophy with prize money. Tickets are not unlimited so get your tickets early! Plans include only 150 tickets with two seatings. Great BBQ calls for great beverages as well! Rest assured that you won’t be thirsty with a variety of wine, beer, and drinks.
Professional cooking teams will come to compete in four categories, ribs, chicken, pulled pork, and brisket. Professional judges will taste the foods. The BBQ will be judged on three areas: the appearance, tenderness, and the taste. All the teams will earn points in each round and only the best ten entries will get prize money and trophies. Trophies will be presented at 5 p.m. on the 23rd July, on the closing day of the festival.
Some of the other attractions of the festival include country and folk music, live bluegrass, Free Kid’s Zone, and chainsaw art demonstrations, and arts and crafts. Adults and kids alike will enjoy a special appearance of Bubba Bear from Cherokee Fun Park! Bubba will appear both days from 12:00 noon to 4pm. On the first day of the festival, Anything Butt Meat and Anything Butt Dessert competitions will be organized and judged by VIP celebrities of the Maggie Valley area. Winners will receive prizes on the closing day of the festival. The prizes and honors of the festival include Maggie’s Best People Choice Award, N. C. Governor’s Trophy, and Anything Dessert and Anything Meat Awards.
Anyone can participate in the Western North Carolina BBQ Festival. The admission fee for adults is $6 and $3 for children between 6 to 12yrs. Admission is free for kids below 6yrs. Two-Day passes can be purchased for $10 for adults and $5 for children 6-12yrs.
The major attraction of the Western North Carolina BBQ Festival is of course the BBQ! But in addition to BBQ, other tasty foods can be found ranging from seafood to Cuban Cuisine! Come and pick your own favorites! And for a special bonus, each $10 ticket features a tasty treat- you can have a sample a two-ounce portion from the each competitor of their BEST pulled pork BBQ! You can also vote for your favorite food. This is delicious, fun-filled event that is just too good to pass up! Make plans today to add this event to your Maggie Valley getaway!
The friendly staff at Creekside Lodge is standing by to help you plan the best vacation ever! Take a moment and call them at (800) 621-1260 to book your spot today!
