MADISON – The newest barbecue festival in the Tennessee Valley is coming to Toyota Field, with the debut of the Smoke In The Outfield BBQ Festival at the home of the Rocket City Trash Pandas from Aug. 4-5.

Team registration is on sale now for amateur cook teams interested in participating. Teams can sign up for the Kansas City Barbecue Society sanctioned competitions HERE, at a cost of $150 per team. Tickets for the general public will go on sale on March 1.

The festival will bring amateur cook teams from across the region to North Alabama, with competitions taking place in a variety of categories including chicken, ribs, and pork. The event kicks off with the VIP Opening Night Celebration on Friday, August 4 at 5:30 p.m., with introductions of the cook teams and their specialties as they prepare the next day’s competitions.

Free live entertainment including a live band, face painting, balloon animals, outdoor games, and a mechanical bull will be on hand for attendees. Food and beverages will be available for purchase, including pulled pork, beef brisket, smoked turkey, and specialty drinks.

On Saturday, August 5, the festival will be from 12-5 p.m. with more live entertainment, games on the concourse, local vendors on hand, and of course, the barbecue stations where guests can sample and/or purchase their favorite foods.

All competitions will take place on Saturday, with the awards presentation set for Saturday afternoon. Guests can arrive to watch judges begin critiquing the competitors’ food beginning at 12 with the judging of chicken, then ribs at 12:30, and finally pork at 1 p.m. People’s Choice sampling will begin at 1:30 p.m. for guests that have purchased special sampling tickets.

The first-place overall winner will receive a guaranteed $1,500 cash prize. Second place will receive $1,000. Cash prizes will be presented for the top three winners in each of the specific categories as well. All cook teams will need to provide their own electricity, water will be available for use.

The Kansas City Barbecue Society is the number one organization of grilling and live-fire smoking enthusiasts globally. It is also the top sanctioning body for barbecue food sports. Throughout the two-day festival, guests will be able to learn more about the sport of barbecuing and the techniques used by the professionals.

Smoke In The Outfield will be one of the Trash Pandas’ signature events for 2023, with other events including the Beer & Wine Festival on June 17, Casino Night on the Concourse on July 15, and Fall Festival on October 28.

More information on this event will be released in the coming weeks and months.