The Blue Ridge BBQ and Music Festival in Tryon.
The thought of eating barbeque from the likes of “Pirates of the Grillibean” while listening to The Lone Derangers sounds a bit like a psychedelic dream. You’re not hallucinating—it’s all happening at the 2010 Blue Ridge BBQ and Music Festival in Tryon. Now in its 17th year, the show has been given “best festival” accolades from Martha Stewart, Southern Living and Traveler Magazine.
Barbara Bradshaw, spokesperson for the festival sums it up deliciously, “The festival is about great food…BBQ you just don’t find in restaurants and fabulous fixins’!” With upwards of 80 teams competing and two different music venues, this alone would be enough to hit the festival. Throw in a juried craft fare, rubber ducky race and rides for the kids…you’ve got and full two days of finger lickin’ festivity.
This barbeque festival is seriously fun business…sanctioned by the esteemed Kansas City Barbeque Society; the bragging rights upon winning the Governor’s Trophy are enormous. And $20,000 in prize money doesn’t hurt either. Teams compete in an area called “Hog Heaven” and, after cooking through the night to finally deliver their offerings to the judges, festival goers are able to mix and mingle with the teams…asking questions, admiring the pits and reveling in all that is pig.