A listing of events happening around the country involving Barbecue, Blues and Brews—as well as other live music, cornhole, motorcycles……
This is by far the most comprehensive list of events I’ve done so far, and as we slide into summer there are lots of choices to chow on some good ‘que! [Links in festival names]
May 4-8
Smokin’ in Mesquite BBQ | Mesquite, NV
May 5-6
Apple Blossom Bar-B-Q | St. Joseph, MO
May 5-6
Bixby BBQ’n Blues Festival | Bixby, OK
May 5-6
BBQ Festival on the Neuse | Kinston, NC
May 5-6
City of Show Low’s BBQ Throwdown | Show Low, AZ
May 5-6
Elk Grove BBQ Championship | Elk Grove, CA
May 5-6
Jiggy With the Piggy | Kannapolis, NC
May 5-6
Lansing DAZE: Brew, Blues & Bar-B-Q | Lansing, KS
May 5-6
League City Music Festival & BBQ Cookoff | League City, TX
May 5-6
Sam’s Club National BBQ Tour | St. Charles, MO
May 5-6
Sertoma 48 BBQ | Lawrence, KS
May 5-6
Show-Me State BBQ Cookoff | Kennett, MO
May 5-6
WhistleStop Festival | Huntsville, AL
May 5-7
Santa Clarita BBQ & Beer Festival | Santa Clarita, CA
May 5-7
Smokin’ on the Water | Liberty, IN
May 5-7
The Masters in May | Appleton, WI
May 6
BBQ in the Valley | Jamestown, NY
May 6
Brews, Blues & BBQ | Yorktown, VA
May 6
Naptown barBAYq | Crownsville, MD
May 6
Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival | Tyler, TX
May 6
Route 66 Smoke Out | Dwight, IL
May 6-7
Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival | Ridgefield, CT
May 12-13
BBQ in the Bluffs | Council Bluffs, IA
May 12-13
Boss Hog Cook-Off | Waynesboro, GA
May 12-13
International Bar-B-Q Festival | Owensboro, KY
May 12-13
Minnesota in May | Falcon Heights, MN
May 12-13
Pick’n In Grant Park BBQ & Music Festival | Atlanta, GA
May 12-13
Rockin BBQ | Warsaw, IN
May 12-13
Roman Roast on the River | Rome, GA
May 12-13
Smoke on the Lake BBQ Festival | Acworth, GA
May 12-13
Wild West BBQ Cook Off | Lamar, CO
May 12-13
Yaga’s Wild Game BBQ Cook-Off | Galveston, TX
May 13
Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival | Charlotte, NC
May 13
Sam’s Club National BBQ Tour | Bowling Green, KY
May 13
West Coast BBQ Classic | Long Beach, CA
May 17-20
Memphis in May World Championship | Memphis, TN
May 19
Valley Veterans BBQ Competition | Valley, NE
May 19-20
Barber-Que | Birmingham, AL
May 19-20
BBQ Throwdown | Wyandotte, MI
May 19-20
Bloomin’ Barbeque & Bluegrass | Sevierville, TN
May 19-20
Boats, Bands & BBQ | Pueblo, CO
May 19-20
Buckeye BBQ Fest | West Chester Township, OH
May 19-20
Chesapeake Jubilee BBQ Cook-Off | Chesapeake, VA
May 19-20
Grand Lake BBQ Festival | Langley, OK
May 19-20
Kings of Q BBQ Cook-off & Festival | Ayden, NC
May 19-20
Madison Magazine BBQ Festival | Madison, WI
May 19-20
Platte City BBQ Cook Off | Platte City, MO
May 19-20
Smoke on the Water BBQ & Music Fest | Thomaston, GA
May 19-20
Twin Valley Fire & Smoke | Morgantown, PA
May 19-21
Lexington Battle Green BBQ Festival | Lexington, MA
May 20
Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival | Knoxville, TN
May 20
Bob Sykes BBQ & Blues Festival | Bessemer, AL
May 20
Sam’s Club National BBQ Tour | Marietta, GA
May 20
SoCal BBQ Bash | Pomona, CA
May 20
Southern Smoke BBQ Championship | Lebanon, TN
May 20
Southern Tier Craft Beer & BBQ Festival | Big Flats, NY
May 20
Salt City BBQ Festival | Syracuse, NY
May 20-21
Milpitas International BBQ & Festival | Milpitas, CA
May 21
ASTOP’s BBQ 4 ASTOP | Fond du Lac, WI
May 26-27
Best Dam Barbecue Challenge | Boulder City, NV
May 26-27
Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que & Music Festival | Evans, GA
May 26-27
Wind Rider Music & BBQ Festival | Ruidoso, NM
May 26-28
Chantilly Farm Bluegrass & BBQ Festival | Floyd, VA
May 26-28
Old Town BBQ Throwdown | Kissimmee, FL
May 26-29
Berea’s National Rib Cook-off | Berea, OH
May 26-29
Roc City Rib Fest | Rochester, NY
May 26-Jun 4
Barbecue & Bluegrass at DollyWood | Pidgeon Forge, TN
May 27
BBQ Blowout | Oviedo, FL
May 27-28
BBQ Blues & Brews on the Bay | North Bend, OR
May 27-28
Beaver Creek Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival | Beaver Creek, CO
May 31-Jun 3
Erie’s Wild Rib Cook Off & Music Festival | Erie, PA
Jun 1-3
World’s Oldest BBQ Cooking Contest | Covington, TN
Jun 1-4
Twin City Ribfest | Winston-Salem, NC
Jun 2-3
Boots & BBQ Festival | Claremore, OK
Jun 2-3
Chisholm Trail Roundup | Lockhart, TX
Jun 2-3
Cookin’ on the Cane BBQ Competition & Festival | Natchitoches, LA
Jun 2-3
Conquer the Grill | Coudersport, PA
Jun 2-3
Elf Khurafeh Shrine BBQ | Clio, MI
Jun 2-3
Hog Happenin’ | Lincolnton, NC
Jun 2-3
Kelley Wilson Memorial BBQ Competition | Kansas City, MO
Jun 2-3
McLouth BBQ Blowout | McLouth, KS
Jun 2-3
Piggin in the Park | Woodruff, SC
Jun 2-3
Que for the Troops | Levittown, PA
Jun 2-3
Smokin in Steele | Owatonna, MN
Jun 2-3
Smokin on the Lake | Monroe City, MO
Jun 2-3
Smokin’ on the Summit | Lee’s Summit, MO
Jun 2-3
South Dakota BBQ Championships | Huron, SD
Jun 2-3
Up in Smoke on the Square | Lincoln, IL
Jun 2-3
Variety Children’s Charity BBQ Bash | Memphis, TN
Jun 2-4
Big Blue BBQ Championship | Marysville, KS
Jun 2-4
Musictree Festival | Manchester, TN
Jun 2-4
Smokin for Garrett | Boonville, IN
Jun 2-4
Virginia Bar-B-Que | Virginia, IL
Jun 3
DizzyFest 10 | Manassas, VA
Jun 3
Craft Brew & Que | Little Elm, TX
Jun 3
Horse Town Brew n’Que Festival | Norco, CA
Jun 3
Sam’s Club National BBQ Tour | Laurel, MD
Jun 3-4
Sun BBQ Fest | Uncasville, CT
Jun 7-10
Happy Harry’s RibFest | Fargo, ND
Jun 9-10
Beardstown Blues, Brews & Barbecue | Beardstown, IL
Jun 9-10
Colonial BBQ Competition | New Castle, DE
Jun 9-10
Delta Smoke BBQ Contest | Wynne, AR
Jun 9-10
Kentucky’s Fort Harrod Beef Festival | Harrodsburg, KY
Jun 9-10
Marietta River City BBQ | Marietta, OH
Jun 9-10
Ocean State BBQ Festival | Providence, RI
Jun 9-10
Poor Que | Montello, WI
Jun 9-10
Smoke Out Hunger BBQ Challenge | Kansas City, KS
Jun 9-11
Mankato Cookout & BBQ State Championship | Mankato, MN
Jun 9-11
Ribfest Chicago | Chicago, IL
Jun 10
Beltway BBQ Showdown | Upper Marlboro, MD
Jun 10
Buskers, Brews & BBQ | Aurora, CO
Jun 10
California Honey Harvest Festival & BBQ Championship | Fillmore, CA
Jun 10
Sam’s Club National BBQ Tour | Harrisburg, PA
Jun 10
Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival | Richmond, VA
Jun 10-11
6 Corners BBQ Fest | Chicago, IL
Jun 10-11
Big Apple Barbecue Block Party | NY, NY
Jun 10-11
Granite State BBQ Championship | Hancock, NH
Jun 10-11
Ribs & Roll BBQ Championship (part of Pecan Festival) | Okmulgee, OK
Jun 11
Beast Feast BBQ Festival | Chattanooga, TN
Jun 14-17
W.C. Handy Blues & Barbecue Festival (BBQ on single day) | Henderson, KY
Jun 15-18
BBQ Ribfest | Ft. Wayne, IN
Jun 16-17
Almost Heaven BBQ Bash | Weston, WV
Jun 16-17
Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival | Barbourville, KY
Jun 16-17
Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival | National Harbor, MD
Jun 16-17
Beresford’s Wheels N’ Squeals Ribfest & Car Show | Beresford, SD
Jun 16-17
Carlton Landing Smoke on the Water BBQ Competition | Carlton Landing, OK
Jun 16-17
Central Plains Ribfest | Holdrege, NE
Jun 16-17
Colorado BBQ Challenge | Frisco, CO
Jun 16-17
Desoto Shrine Club BBQ Cook Off | Hernando, MS
Jun 16-17
Great Eldorado BBQ, Brews and Blues Festival | Reno, NV
Jun 16-17
Hog Capital BBQ Challenge | Kewanee, IL
Jun 16-17
Knights of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off 4-Life | Kansas City, KS
Jun 16-17
Miles City Cowtown Cookoff | Mile City, MT
Jun 16-17
Peak City Pig Fest | Apex, NC
Jun 16-17
Rose Festival BBQ | State Center, IA
Jun 16-17
Smoke in the House BBQ Cookoff | White House, TN
Jun 16-17
Smoke on the Square | Franklin, IN
Jun 16-18
Rock’n Ribfest | Nashua, NH
Jun 17
Big Kahuna Wing Festival | Knoxville, TN
Jun 17
Sam’s Club National BBQ Tour | Alpharetta, GA
Jun 17-18
King of the County BBQ Fest | Martinez, CA
Jun 23-24
Auburn Hills Barbecue Cook-off | Auburn Hills, MI
Jun 23-24
Blount County BBQ Bash | Maryville, TN
Jun 23-24
Blues, Brews and BBQ Festival | Champaign, IL
Jun 23-24
Covington Cork & Pork Festival | Covington, VA
Jun 23-24
Great Lenexa BBQ Battle | Lenexa, KS
Jun 23-24
Hog Wild BBQ & Chrome Fest | Chandler, OK
Jun 23-24
Leadville BBQ & Brew Festival | Leadville, CO
Jun 23-24
Rotary Rock-n-Ribs BBQ Event | La Crosse, WI
Jun 23-24
Silicon Valley BBQ Championship | Santa Clara, CA
Jun 23-25
Smokin on the Pecos | Artesia, NM
Jun 24
Bacon, Brew & BBQ Festival | Sun Prairie, WI
Jun 24
Blues, Berries & BBQ Festival | Columbia, SC
Jun 24
Cape May Blues, Brews & Barbecue Festival | Cape May, NJ
Jun 24
Freedom Fest BBQ Cook-Off | Willard, MO
Jun 24
Heritage Days BBQ Showdown | Belvidere, IL
Jun 24
Sam’s Club National BBQ Tour | Birmingham, AL
Jun 24-25
Oklahoma Barbecue Championship (part of Jazz Fest) | Oklahoma City, O
Jun 24-25
Ribfest | Duncan, NE
Jun 24-25
Safeway Barbecue Battle | Washington, DC
Jun 25
Kosher BBQ Competition | St. Louis, MO
Jun 25
Montana BBQ Cook-Off | Absarokee, MT
Jun 30-Jul 1
Assumption Fest | Assumption, IL
Jun 30-Jul 1
Back to Mayberry | Rodney, IA
Jun 30-Jul 1
Grillin’ and Chillin’ | Chillicothe, MO
Jun 30-Jul 1
Grillin’ in Grafton | Grafton, WI
Jun 30-Jul 1
Kansas Star BBQ Shoot Out | Mulvane, KS
