A listing of events happening around the country involving Barbecue, Blues and Brews—as well as other live music, cornhole, motorcycles……
We’ve entered into peak season for BBQ, beer and music festivals and competitions. I have compiled a pretty large listing of events coming up in the next two months across the lower 48. [Links in festival names]
May 4-5
Apple Blossom BBQ | St. Joseph, MO
May 4-5
BBQ Festival on the Neuse | Kinston, NC
May 4-5
Bixby BBQ’n Blues Festival | Bixby, OK
May 4-5
City of Show Low’s BBQ Throwdown | Show Low, AZ
May 4-5
Elk Grove BBQ Championship | Elk Grove, CA
May 4-5
Jiggy With the Piggy | Kannapolis, NC
May 4-5
Lansing DAZE: Brew, Blues & Bar-B-Q | Lansing, KS
May 4-5
League City Music Festival & BBQ Cookoff | League City, TX
May 4-5
Sertoma 48 BBQ | Lawrence, KS
May 4-5
Show-Me State BBQ Cookoff | Kennett, MO
May 4-5
WhistleStop Festival | Huntsville, AL
May 4-6
Smokin’ on the Water | Liberty, IN
May 4-6
The Masters in May | Appleton, WI
May 5
BBQ in the Valley | Jamestown, NY
May 5
Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival | Knoxville, TN
May 5
Brews, Blues & BBQ | Yorktown, VA
May 5
DizzyFest 13 | Manassas, VA
May 5
Hog Wild BBQ Festival | Brookhaven, MS
May 5
Naptown barBAYq | Crownsville, MD
May 5
Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival | Tyler, TX
May 5
Route 66 Smoke Out | Dwight, IL
May 5-6
Atlanta Bar-B-Q Festival | Atlanta, GA
May 5-6
Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival | Ridgefield, CT
May 11-12
Boss Hog Cook-Off | Waynesboro, GA
May 11-12
International Bar-B-Q Festival | Owensboro, KY
May 11-12
Minnesota in May | Falcon Heights, MN
May 11-12
Rockin BBQ | Warsaw, IN
May 11-12
Roman Roast on the River | Rome, GA
May 11-12
Santa Clarita BBQ & Beer Festival | Santa Clarita, CA
May 11-12
Smoke on the Lake BBQ Festival | Acworth, GA
May 11-12
The Grasshopper ‘18 BBQ Cookoff | DeSoto, KS
May 11-12
Wild West BBQ Cook Off | Lamar, CO
May 11-12
Yaga’s Wild Game BBQ Cook-Off | Galveston, TX
May 11-13
BBQ in the Bluffs | Council Bluffs, IA
May 12
Backyard BBQ Festival | Murfreesboro, TN
May 12
Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival | Charlotte, NC
May 12-13
BBQ Jamboree | Fredericksburg, VA
May 16-19
Memphis in May World Championship | Memphis, TN
May 18
Spring Out to Sunset Barbecue Competition | Valparaiso, IN
May 18-19
BBQ Throwdown | Wyandotte, MI
May 18-19
Bloomin’ Barbeque & Bluegrass | Sevierville, TN
May 18-19
Buckeye BBQ Fest | West Chester Township, OH
May 18-19
Chesapeake Jubilee BBQ Cook-Off | Chesapeake, VA
May 18-19
Grand Lake BBQ Festival | Langley, OK
May 18-19
Kings of Q BBQ Cook-off & Festival | Ayden, NC
May 18-19
PigMania: Lima | Lima, OH
May 18-19
Platte City BBQ Cook Off | Platte City, MO
May 18-19
Twin Valley Fire & Smoke | Morgantown, PA
May 18-19
Valley Veterans BBQ Competition | Valley, NE
May 19
BBQ 4 ASTOP | Fond du Lac, WI
May 19
Salt City BBQ Festival | Syracuse, NY
May 19
Southern Utah BBQ Festival | Washington, UT
May 24-26
Burnt Ends Oklahoma BBQ Championship | Oklahoma City, OK
May 25-26
Barber-Que | Birmingham, AL
May 25-26
Best Dam Barbecue Challenge | Boulder City, NV
May 25-26
Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que & Music Festival | Evans, GA
May 25-26
Shepherd’s Smokin’ Summer Kickoff | Branson, MO
May 25-27
BBQ Blues & Brews on the Bay | North Bend, OR
May 25-27
Red, White & Bar-B-Q | Westmont, IL
May 25-28
Berea’s National Rib Cook-off | Berea, OH
May 25-28
Roc City Rib Fest | Rochester, NY
May 26
BBQ Blowout | Oviedo, FL
May 26
Big Bear Memorial Weekend BBQ Festival | Big Bear Lake, CA
May 26
Gettysburg BBQ Festival | Gettysburg, PA
May 26-27
Beaver Creek Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival | Beaver Creek, CO
May 26-27
CSU BBQ Showdown | Estes Park, CO
May 26-27
Old Town BBQ Throwdown | Kissimmee, FL
May 26-28
Chantilly Farm Bluegrass & BBQ Festival | Floyd, VA
May 30-Jun 2
Erie’s Wild Rib Cook Off & Music Festival | Erie, PA
May 31-Jun 2
World’s Oldest BBQ Cooking Contest | Covington, TN
Jun 1-2
Big Blue BBQ Championship | Marysville, KS
Jun 1-2
Boots & BBQ Festival | Claremore, OK
Jun 1-2
Friends of OBR Pitmaster Challenge | Louisville, KY
Jun 1-2
Horse Town Brew n’Que Festival | Norco, CA
Jun 1-2
Kelley Wilson Memorial BBQ Competition | Kansas City, MO
Jun 1-2
McLouth BBQ Blowout | McLouth, KS
Jun 1-2
Piggin in the Park | Woodruff, SC
Jun 1-2
PigMania: Shelby | Shelby, OH
Jun 1-2
Que for the Troops | Levittown, PA
Jun 1-2
Smokin in Steele | Owatonna, MN
Jun 1-2
Smokin on the Lake | Monroe City, MO
Jun 1-2
South Dakota BBQ Championships | Huron, SD
Jun 1-2
Up in Smoke on the Square | Lincoln, IL
Jun 1-3
Lexington Battle Green BBQ Festival | Lexington, MA
Jun 1-3
Virginia Bar-B-Que | Virginia, IL
Jun 2
Craft Brew & Que | Little Elm, TX
Jun 2-3
Sun BBQ Fest | Uncasville, CT
Jun 6-9
Happy Harry’s RibFest | Fargo, ND
Jun 7-9
Chisholm Trail Roundup | Lockhart, TX
Jun 7-10
Hog Happenin’ | Lincolnton, NC
Jun 7-10
Twin City Ribfest | Winston-Salem, NC
Jun 8-9
Beardstown Blues, Brews & Barbecue | Beardstown, IL
Jun 8
Delta Smoke Steak Contest | Wynne, AR
Jun 8-9
Derby BBQ Festival | Derby, KS
Jun 8-9
Kentucky’s Fort Harrod Beef Festival | Harrodsburg, KY
Jun 8-9
Marietta River City BBQ | Marietta, OH
Jun 8-9
Smoke Out Hunger BBQ Challenge | Kansas City, KS
Jun 8-10
Granite State BBQ Championship | Hancock, NH
Jun 8-10
Mankato Cookout & BBQ State Championship | Mankato, MN
Jun 8-10
Ribfest Chicago | Chicago, IL
Jun 9
Buskers, Brews & BBQ | Aurora, CO
Jun 9
Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival | Richmond, VA
Jun 9
Colonial BBQ Competition | New Castle, DE
Jun 9
Poor Que | Montello, WI
Jun 9-10
Big Apple Barbecue Block Party | NY, NY
Jun 10
Beltway BBQ Showdown | Upper Marlboro, MD
Jun 10
Chicago Kosher BBQ Competition | Morton Grove, IL
Jun 13-16
W.C. Handy Blues & Barbecue Festival | Henderson, KY
Jun 14
Blues, Brews and BBQ Festival | Plainfield, IL
Jun 14-16
Carlton Landing Smoke on the Water BBQ Competition | Carlton Landing, OK
Jun 14-16
Ribs & Roll BBQ Championship (part of Pecan Festival) | Okmulgee, OK
Jun 14-17
BBQ Ribfest | Ft. Wayne, IN
Jun 15-16
Almost Heaven BBQ Bash | Weston, WV
Jun 15-16
Barbourville BBQ Cookoff & Festival | Barbourville, KY
Jun 15-16
Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival | National Harbor, MD
Jun 15-16
Beresford’s Wheels N’ Squeals Ribfest & Car Show | Beresford, SD
Jun 15-16
Central Plains Ribfest | Holdrege, NE
Jun 15-16
Colorado BBQ Challenge | Frisco, CO
Jun 15-16
Desoto Shrine Club BBQ Cook Off | Hernando, MS
Jun 15-16
Great Eldorado BBQ, Brews and Blues Festival | Reno, NV
Jun 15-16
Hartford Rib Off | Hartford, CT
Jun 15-16
Hog Capital BBQ Challenge | Kewanee, IL
Jun 15-16
Knights of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off 4-Life | Kansas City, KS
Jun 15-16
Peak City Pig Fest | Apex, NC
Jun 15-16
Rose Festival BBQ | State Center, IA
Jun 15-16
Smoke in the House BBQ Cookoff | White House, TN
Jun 15-16
Smoke on the Water BBQ & Music Fest | Thomaston, GA
Jun 15-17
Rock’n Ribfest | Nashua, NH
Jun 16
Big Kahuna Wing Festival | Knoxville, TN
Jun 16
Iowa Juneteenth Observance: Grilling Competitors Series | Des Moines, IA
Jun 16
Miles City Cowtown Cookoff | Mile City, MT
Jun 16
Stills and Grills Festival | North Wilkesboro, NChttp://stillsandgrillsfest.com/
Jun 16-17
King of the County BBQ Fest | Martinez, CA
Jun 22-23
Auburn Hills Summerfest Barbecue Cook-off | Auburn Hills, MI
Jun 22-23
Blount County BBQ Bash | Maryville, TN
Jun 22-23
Covington Cork & Pork Festival | Covington, VA
Jun 22-23
Great Lenexa BBQ Battle | Lenexa, KS
Jun 22-23
Leadville BBQ & Brew Festival | Leadville, CO
Jun 22-23
Silicon Valley BBQ Championship | Santa Clara, CA
Jun 22-24
Rotary Rock-n-Ribs BBQ Event | La Crosse, WI
Jun 22-24
Smokin on the Pecos | Artesia, NM
Jun 23
Bacon, Brew & BBQ Festival | Sun Prairie, WI
Jun 23
Blues, Berries & BBQ Festival | Columbia, SC
Jun 23
Cape May Blues, Brews & Barbecue Festival | Cape May, NJ
Jun 23-24
Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle | Washington, DC
Jun 23-24
Heritage Days BBQ Showdown | Belvidere, IL
Jun 23-24
Smoke in the Woods | Galway, NY
Jun 24
Montana BBQ Cook-Off | Absarokee, MT
Jun 29-30
Assumption Fest | Assumption, IL
Jun 29-30
Grillin’ and Chillin’ | Chillicothe, MO
Jun 29-30
Grillin’ in Grafton | Grafton, WI
Jun 29-30
PigMania: Hilliard | Hilliard, OH
Jun 29-30
Traeger NorUt State BBQ Championship | Ogden, UT
Jun 29-30
York County BBQ Festival | Delta, PA
Jun 29-Jul 1
Pork and Brew BBQ State Championship | Rio Rancho, NM
Jun 30
Freedom Fest BBQ Cook-Off | Willard, MO
Jun 30-Jul 1
I-39 Smokin’ BBQ and Car Show | Minonk, IL
