A listing of events happening around the country involving Barbecue, Blues and Brews—as well as other live music, cornhole, motorcycles……

There are a lot of events going on this summer! I have really searched for a more comprehensive listing, and many of the festivals and competitions below are also state championships. And for the Sam’s Club National BBQ Tour, click on the link to see if it’s coming near you. Here’s what’s happening in the next two months:

Jul 8-9
Bordertown Bash | Fort Smith, AR

Jul 8-9
Gold Ribbin’ BBQ Fest of Greater Green Bay | Green Bay, WI

Jul 8-9
Ohio Veterans BBQ Cook-off | Kettering, OH

Jul 8-9
Wellsville BBQ Cookoff | Wellsville, MO

Jul 8-9
Wine Country Big Q Competition and Festival | Petaluma, CA

Jul 8-10
Bicycle, Blues and BBQ | Clear Lake, IA

Jul 8-10
Chillin’ & Grillin’ in the Glades | Wise, VA

Jul 8-10
New Jersey State Barbecue Championship | N. Wildwood, NJ

Jul 9
South Sound BBQ Festival | Lacey, WA

Jul 15-16
BBQ’Loo & Blues Too | Waterloo, IA

Jul 15-16
RiverFest Red White and Que | Bellevue, NE

Jul 15-16
Smoke on the Mountain | Galax, VA

Jul 15-16
Spruce Pine BBQ Championship & Bluegrass Festival | Spruce Pine, NC

Jul 15-16
Wine, Brew & Bar-B-Que Too! | New Palestine, IN

Jul 15-17
Windy City Smokeout | Chicago, IL

Jul 16
Wolf Creek WildBlue BBQ | Burlington, KS

Jul 17
Del Mar BBQ State Championship | Del Mar, CA

Jul 17
Smokin’ at the Ballpark | Old Orchard Beach, ME

Jul 22-23
Arvada On-Tap—A Craft Beer and BBQ Fest | Arvada, CO

Jul 22-23
BBQ-Fest Cooking Contest | Dyersburg, TN

Jul 22-23
Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown | Peoria, IL

Jul 22-23
EffingHAM-JAM | Effingham, IL

Jul 22-23
Up in Smoke BBQ Bash | Mason City, IA

Jul 22-23
Western NC BBQ Festival | Maggie Valley, NC

Jul 22-24
Jazz & Rib Fest | Columbus, OH

Jul 22-24
Louisville Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival | Louisville, KY

Jul 22-24
South County Hot Air Balloon Festival & RI State BBQ Championship | Kingston, RI

Jul 23
Beer, Blues & BBQ | Worcester, MA

Jul 23-24
Harpoon Brewery BBQ Festival | Windsor, VT

Jul 29-30
Beat the Heat BBQ, Brews & Chili | Alamosa, CO

Jul 29-30
Blues, Brews & Barbecue | Birch Run, MI

Jul 29-30
Blues & Bones Festival | Angels Camp, CA

Jul 29-30
Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-Off | Hartselle, AL

Jul 29-30
Dodge City Days Smokin Saddles BBQ Contest | Dodge City, KS

Jul 29-31
Gilroy Garlic Festival Garli-Que Challenge | Gilroy, CA

Jul 29-30
Great Northern BBQ | Brainerd, MN

Jul 29-30
Racing for the BBQ | Lee’s Summit, MO

Jul 29-30
Smokin Hot Cars & BBQ | Iola, KS

Jul 29-30
Vista BBQ Classic | Vista, CA

Jul 30
Great Adirondack BBQ Festival | Old Forge, NY

Jul 30
Smoke on the Shrine Lake BBQ Competition & Bluegrass Festival | Summerville, SC

Jul 31-Aug 2
Southern Maryland Brew & BBQ Festival | Leonardtown, MD

Aug 5-6
Arena-Que BBQ Championship of Nebraska | Ralston, NE

Aug 5-6
Badger Brews & Que | Manitowoc, WI

Aug 5-6
Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival | Cary, NC

Aug 5-6
Dillard Bluegrass + Barbecue Festival | Dillard, GA

Aug 5-6
Holy Smokes BBQ Competition | Cincinnati, OH

Aug 5-6
Pigs & Pedals | Asheboro, NC

Aug 5-6
Rossville Tall Corn Festival BBQ Contest | Rossville, KS

Aug 5-7
Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons Beer Festival & Pro BBQ Competition | Huntington Beach, CA

Aug 5-7
Smokin’ at the Maples | Manorville, NY

Aug 12-13
Atlanta Bar-B-Q Festival | Atlanta, GA

Aug 12-13
Best of the West | Sheridan, WY

Aug 12-13
CASA’s Grab, Root and Growl BBQ | Woodward, OK

Aug 12-13
Holy Smoke BBQ Contest | Liberty, MO

Aug 12-13
Maryland State BBQ Bash | Bel Air, MD

Aug 12-13
Mountain High BBQ Festival & Car Show | Franklin, NC

Aug 12-13
Smokin’ in McMinnville | McMinnville, TN

Aug 12-13
Smokin’ Trackside BBQ & Brew Bash | Winston, MO

Aug 12-14
Salamanca Rock’in Ribfest | Salamanca, NY

Aug 13
Blues & BBQ for Better Housing Block Party | Arvada, CO

Aug 13
Decatur BBQ Blues & Bluegrass Festival | Oakhurst, GA

Aug 13
Lake Minnetonka BBQ & Beer Fest | Tonka Bay, MN

Aug 13-14
Valley Music (and BBQ) Fest | Russellville, AR

Aug 14
New London’s Best BBQ Chef Competition | New London, CT

Aug 19-20
BBQ on the River | Excelsior Springs, MO

Aug 19-20
Cape Jaycees BBQ Fest | Cape Girardeau, MO

Aug 19-20
Flint Hills Beef Fest BBQ Contest | Emporia, KS

Aug 19-20
Madison Ribberfest | Madison, IN

Aug 19-20
Pepsi Wyoming State BBQ Championship and Bluegrass Festival | Worland, WY

Aug 19-20
SMSU Smokefest | Marshall, MN

Aug 19-20
Stand by Your Grill | Fulton, MS

Aug 19-21
Hudson Valley Ribfest | New Paltz, NY

Aug 19-21
Long Beach BBQ Festival | Long Beach, CA

Aug 20
Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival | Virginia Beach, VA

Aug 20
Blues & Bones Festival | Eagle, ID

Aug 20
Classic City BBQ Fest | Athens, GA

Aug 20-21
Illinois BBQ Fest | Orion, IL

Aug 20-21
Oaktown Throwdown BBQ (part of Art + Soul Oakland) | Oakland, CA

Aug 21
Kansas City Kosher BBQ Contest | Overland Park, KS

Aug 26-27
Big Island BBQ Festival | Albert Lea, MN

Aug 26-27
Death’s Door Bar-B-Q | Washington Island, WI

Aug 26-27
Great Catskill Mountain BBQ Fest | Fleischmanns, NY

Aug 26-27
Grill Games | Kenosha, WI

Aug 26-27
Kearney BBQ on the Bricks | Kearney, NE

Aug 26-27
New Holland Summer Fest | New Holland, PA

Aug 26-27
Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival | Kennesaw, GA

Aug 26-27
Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship | Lubbock, TX

Aug 26-27
Roots Festival | Paola, KS

Aug 26-27
Smokin’ on Oak | Bonner Springs, KS

Aug 26-27
Wine, Brew & BBQ | Hill City, SD

Aug 27
Big Bad KCBS BBQ Battle | Boydton, VA

Aug 27
Great Americana BBQ Festival | Franklin, TN

Aug 27
Grills ‘n’ Grilles | Penn Valley, CA

Aug 27
Ribstock3 | Marne, MI

Aug 27
Smoke in the Valley | Pikeville, TN

Aug 27
Wild West BBQ Shoot Out | Wendover, NV


Pass along any festivals or competitions you know about and I’ll add it to my (growing) list. Send festival name, date (if possible) and URL.