Blue Ridge Bbq Festival

My parents took me here on my inaugural trip to visit them in SC after defecting from CT.

I wish my visit this time around coincided because I love me some BBQ, even though I'm a Connecticut girl born and raised. This festival is BEYOND fantastic.

The Blue Ridge BBQ festival is awesome!  It's staffed mostly by local volunteers who have a passion for barbeque, good music, and the town of Tryon, and it's in a beautiful location tucked away in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  If you haven't had North Carolina BBQ then you're in for a treat.  There are two music stages playing anything from rock to country to bluegrass, and local vendors selling paintings, crafts, and handmade goods.  The festival spans a few days with plenty of activities for kids (like the rubber ducky race down the stream) and grownups alike.  We love the festival and will be coming back for years to come.

If you live any where near western NC, you gotta hit the annual Blue Ridge BBQ Festival. Wait a sec....if you live anywhere near western NC then you already love BBQ, right? You already know about this event, right? OK, there are a few holdouts out there like my wife who only eats fish. But, I say those folks are just missin' out and, probably not real southerner's any way (case in point - my wife was born in Scranton, PA!!!).

Set in Tryon, NC, this festival draws around 25,000 people and is way more than a BBQ get together. Yes, there's plenty of tasty BBQ. But, you'll find foods and sweets of various types, arts / crafts, carnival rides and games for the kids and some really great regional and (almost) national music acts on two different stages.

Musically, it slants toward bluegrass / country / southern rock / folk. I've heard some great music here. And, a few misses. But, generally the music is "foot-stompin" as we say in the south.

And, it's managed very well. I know some of the folks who put this event on and they are top-notch people putting a lot of thought and hard work into making this a great festival year after year. They have trams from the parking area, misting areas to beat the heat, family night where the kids can hit the rides economically, great security and a big push to be green....recycling is a big deal at the Q.

But, don't forget what the festival is really all about. Yes, there are big time "circuit" BBQ vendors there and they have great food geared for larger crowds. But, the festival is "The NC BBQ Championships" where teams travel from far off places to compete with each other for a plethora of titles like "Best Whole Pig BBQ", "Best Chicken", Best Ribs", etc. A walk through the competitors area is a sensory sensation and fun as well.....these folks are serious about BBQ!

My last comment....sadly, there was a push a few years ago by the Chamber of Commerce to cancel this festival (didn't bring enough revenue and they were worried about rain-out liabilities) and what a shame it would have been if they had their way. It's been one of Tryon's best promotional events....EVER! Hmmmm, you'd think the C of C would support that.

Thankfully, a group of sane local folks said no way....keep the Q alive and pledged $1,000 per person (including yours truly) to help eliminate the fears of the C of C. So, good for all of those people that stood up for the Q Festival. Thanks. It's a great tradition that lives on.