Toyota Field in North Alabama hosts a new BBQ festival

Madison city residents can now look forward to a brand new barbecue cookoff that is set to take place in town. The inaugural Smoke in the Outfield BBQ Festival is scheduled to be held on Friday, August 4 and Saturday, August 5 at the Rocket City Trash Pandas’ Toyota Field.

This event is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society, which is the world’s largest barbecue organization for grillers, overseeing more than 450 similar contests every year. Around 70 cook teams from all over the South will converge at Toyota Field to compete for a chance to win various prizes.

According to Lindsey Knupp, the executive vice president of the Trash Pandas, the event is a great opportunity for Southern cooks to showcase their skills and chops. Knupp explained that the cook teams participate in such events because they want the pride of being number one. They follow sanctioned events organized by the Kansas City Barbeque Society throughout the nation, including Mississippi and Tennessee, so they can try and win and earn bragging rights in different categories.

It’s a fun experience for those who have the cookers and the smokers, as they bring their family and friends along for the party and make it a whole weekend experience. The event commences with a VIP Opening Night Celebration on Friday from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. Friday night, and ticketholders can enjoy live entertainment, drink specials, meet participating cook teams, and even ride a mechanical bull.

The Alabama-based jam and funk group Lamont Landers Band, will perform on the Inline Electric Rock Court. Toyota Field will also have inflatable bounce houses and face painting for kids. The cookoff takes place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cook teams will compete for Best Chicken, Best Ribs, and the People’s Choice Awards. Eighty-five on-site judges will rate the teams’ chicken and rib dishes.

However, in the People’s Choice category, Saturday Sampling ticketholders will receive up to eight pork butt samples. These visitors will then give a ticket to their favourite pork butt dish, and the cook team with the highest number of tickets will win the People’s Choice award. The top cook teams in each category will win barbecue smokers, trophies, and other prizes. The first-place overall winner will receive a grand cash prize of $1,500, and the second-place overall winner will receive $1,000.

Knupp said that the Smoke in the Outfield BBQ Festival is an excellent opportunity for Madison residents to experience a different side of their favourite city. It offers a unique chance to be part of the experience, enjoy some sunshine, live entertainment, beverages, and much more.

Knupp added that the festival can also help drive tourism to the area for years to come. The cook teams that are coming may have never been to the ballpark before and may not even be aware that it’s a baseball stadium. It will give them a chance to appreciate the venue, logo and perhaps shop in the merchandise store. They might even want to come back and enjoy a Trash Pandas game or explore something in the local area that they didn’t know existed.

Although registration for cook teams is closed, tickets can still be purchased online by visiting the Trash Pandas’ website. Saturday Sampling Tickets are priced at $40 per person and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Only 180 sampling tickets will be available.

VIP Tickets are priced at $45 per person and include a Saturday Sampling Ticket and Friday Opening Night Ticket. Residents who want to attend the event can purchase a two-day pass at $15 per adult and $12 per child. Children aged 2 and under get in for free. For those who cannot attend this year’s Smoke in the Outfield BBQ Festival, Toyota Field is hosting another signature event during the spooky season.

The Trash Pandas’ Fall Festival Movie Night is scheduled for October 28 from 5 to 9 p.m. Gates will open for trick-or-treating, costume wearing, and pumpkin decorating. The night will end with a movie on the video board for guests to enjoy. Tickets for the Fall Festival are also available on the Trash Pandas’ website.

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