Many areas claim to have the best barbecue in the nation, but DFW residents know they’ve got the best of the best right here in the Metroplex. While you can scratch your BBQ itch on a day-to-day basis by visiting both chain and hole-in-the-wall eateries, you’re guaranteed to find scrumptious barbecue at a local food festival or barbecue competition. Get out your calendars and make sure you don’t miss these great opportunities for eating your fill — and then some! — of the best ‘cue DFW has to offer.
Every spring, the Fort Worth Police Officers Association (FWPOA) hosts the Cops for Kids BBQ Cookoff in the Stockyards. Fort Worth’s finest exchange patrolmen blues for chef’s whites to barbecue up a storm, with proceeds benefitting disadvantaged children in the area. Although it’s sponsored by the FWPOA, anyone can enter as a contestant or attend as an enthusiastic eater.
Another local food festival that combines good eats with a good cause is the annual Pink Soles in Motion BBQ Cook-Off, sanctioned by the Lone Star Barbecue Society. Proceeds from this cookoff benefit cancer research and support cancer victims and their families. Don your favorite pink apparel, pack up the family, and make the trek to Maverick Harley-Davidson in Carrollton, where you’ll enjoy entries from teams throughout Texas.
When Labor Day weekend rolls around, head to the Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival, a fest that combines the talents of dozens of barbecue competition teams with both locally and nationally recognized musical acts. In exchange for small parking and admission fees (plus competition entry tickets), you can take part in the People’s Choice Event competition, vote in the Battle of the BBQ, listen to blues music, and check out the handcrafted wares of local artisans. What a great end to summer in DFW!
Travel to Oak Cliffs in late October to take part the Blues, Bandits, & BBQ event. Your mouth will assume it’s died and gone to heaven before you have a chance to sample even half the barbecue at this food festival. Competitors can enter food in each of five categories: brisket, ribs, whole chicken, sausage, or pulled pork. And you’ll find much more here than just top-notch barbecue — this event also boasts live blues, a dog park, and children’s activities.
If these four events don’t fit your schedule, don’t worry: Texas hosts dozens of barbecue food festivals year-round. Visit The Smoker King to find other great events near you.
Image Source: Flickr
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